Emergence of Voice-Activated Devices

A variety of voice-driven hardware has surfaced, designed for companionship, productivity, and personal development. This includes card-style devices from Plaud and Pocket; pendants from Friend, Limitless, and Taya; and a wristband from Bee, now part of Amazon.

Introduction of Sandbar’s Stream Ring

Two ex-Meta employees specializing in interface design have founded Sandbar, introducing a ring named Stream for similar functionalities. The device is described as “a mouse for voice,” enabling note-taking, AI interaction, and music control.

Founders’ Background

Mina Fahmi, Sandbar’s CEO, boasts extensive experience in human-computer interface design, having worked with Kernel and Magic Leap. Kirak Hong, the CTO, previously held positions at Google and CTRL-Labs, where they met. Meta acquired CTRL-Labs in 2019, and the team’s work contributed to neural interfaces for smart wearables.

Creating a Seamless Thought Capture

Fahmi initially developed a journaling app but found it hindered his ability to capture spontaneous thoughts. Drawing from his hardware interface background, he envisioned a conversational hardware interface. “Many of my ideas arise when I’m on the move, and I want a seamless way to capture them without distraction,” he explained.

Functionality of the Stream Ring

The ring is designed for the index finger, equipped with microphones and a touchpad. During a virtual demonstration, Fahmi recorded his thoughts by pressing the touchpad, which activates the microphone only with this action. The sensitive mic captured whispers and transcribed them into the companion iOS app, akin to apps like Wispr Flow and Willow.

Advanced Features and Customization

The Stream app features an AI chatbot that engages users as they record thoughts. Users can organize notes, with an option for AI edits, and review discussions over time. A personalization layer makes the assistant’s voice resemble the user’s own. In crowded environments, users can communicate privately through headphones or rely on haptic feedback for note-taking without disruption.

Future Prospects and Funding

Pre-orders for the Stream ring will commence at $249 for silver and $299 for gold, with shipments expected next summer. Sandbar has raised $13 million from True Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and Betaworks. Toni Schneider from True Ventures noted that while he was initially skeptical about AI devices, the demonstration of Stream convinced him of its potential.

Sandbar faces significant competition in the AI hardware market and aims to demonstrate that its ring offers unique advantages over other forms of wearable technology. The company emphasizes user data control and plans to support data exports to apps like Notion.