One of the primary benefits that people want out of their smartwatches today is the integration with their smartphones that allows them to always be in contact and interact with their devices wherever they may be without needing to haul them around everywhere. The biggest issue with the wide adoption of smartwatches though has been their high cost barrier. What if you could get that integration functionality at a fraction of the cost though?
The twist – take away the screen and attach it to your shirt instead. While it might seem like a silly idea to essentially walk around with a microphone all day, taking away a screen and watch functionality allows for devices to last for weeks on end and also drastically reduced the cost.
Essentially this device can allow every geek to live out their Star Trek fantasies. However, I wouldn’t want to be seen any more crazy than I already am by walking around the office and talking to myself. There is a company called Myle Tap who are believe the idea has some merit – and have labelled these type of devices, ‘speakables’.
The idea behind Myle Tap, who is billing this as the world’s first “wearable thought catcher”, is to have a device that you place wherever you need and responds to prompts by tapping on it and then routing it to the correct app you need, whether it be booking an appointment, twitter updates or most importantly, note taking. While smart-phoned pair mics already exist on the market today, it’s this ability to smart route your thoughts to the correct place that will essentially be the key difference and the device work. The Myle Tap even promises to allow simple IFTTT-like development of Mylets, its equivalent of Alexa’s skills
You might be reading this and wondering, can’t smart watches already do this? And the truth is, they can, which is why Myle Tap is targeting people who perhaps don’t have the budget or find smart watches too cumbersome by keeping the device as basic as possible. Myle Tap also includes corresponding apps for iOS and Android that not only allow it to sync in with your device, but also provide a wealth of analytics that try to make sense of your different ramblings.
With South African accents in particular, devices like this could be a niche that we are unlikely to use, unless they can drastically improve on their language recognition and learning abilities. With our different accents, devices and apps such as this will often miss out on what you actually want and order you a pizza when all you were trying to do was give your friend Piet a call.
I’m not convinced there is a market for this, but the company did hit their crowdfunding goal to enter production and with a similar device Senstone, that acts as a screen-less watch on your arm also on Kickstarter, it seems companies are sensing a gap in the market for ‘speakables’. I’m generally not very reliable when it comes to predicting new consumer trends, so I would rather leave the judgement to you, our trust reader. Do you think there is room for ‘speakables’ in the wearables market?
Last Updated: February 17, 2017
Zoe Hawkins
February 17, 2017 at 11:14
I really like this idea. I don’t even need the “translate into text” thing. I send people voice notes whenever I’m in traffic because it’s safer than texting while driving. And sometimes, I leave myself voice memos so that when I think of my to-do list, I can already get it out of my head and focus on whatever else without worrying about forgetting things. This is COOL!
Admiral Chief
February 17, 2017 at 12:27
I speak to Google Now and it makes reminders and notes about things I need to do later or when I’m at home. As soon as the location picks up I am at home, it reminds me.
Best of all, doesn’t cost me extra
miaau
February 17, 2017 at 12:42
Bloody hell, that sounds like a good idea to me……….
although, could be akward, I get home, phone sees me home and says, in my voice “remember to grab your wife in a way that she KNOWS you want some”, cause her parents are now at home and the phone does not know that….
Admiral Chief
February 17, 2017 at 13:41
The small voice command is uploaded and recognized quite accurately and sets reminders etc
miaau
February 17, 2017 at 12:57
On the other side, I sometimes get irritated when I get a voice note on Whatsapp, cause now I must listen to it, and other people may hear AND I have to turn up the volume on my phone.
My volume rockers get stuck in place, cause I put in lowest (vibrate only) and pretty much leave it there if I can
HairyEwok
February 17, 2017 at 11:18
Wait so there’s people who actually think smart watches are cumbersome. It’s basically a watch with extra features, anyway, as cool as it is, I really do not see a market for it yet in SA.
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 17, 2017 at 11:20
GITFS
Captain JJ
February 17, 2017 at 11:21
I don’t think it’s waterpr….ohhhhh
Captain JJ
February 17, 2017 at 11:22
I find it hilarious when someone is using their speaker phone in the car, but still hold up the phone close to their face. How is that any different? XD
HairyEwok
February 17, 2017 at 11:24
You talking about the Kardashians?
Captain JJ
February 17, 2017 at 11:25
No just idiots in general 😛
HairyEwok
February 17, 2017 at 11:26
Is there any difference between the two? XD
Captain JJ
February 17, 2017 at 11:26
I don’t think there is. 😀
Original Heretic
February 17, 2017 at 11:27
If I ever get one of these, my first words into it would be “Beam me up, Scotty.”
Captain JJ
February 17, 2017 at 11:28
“Kirk to Enterprise”
HairyEwok
February 17, 2017 at 11:28
Making note: Be a me up, Scotty.
With our accents this thing will be permanently confused.
Original Heretic
February 17, 2017 at 11:39
Then change your accent, tall ewok man!
I’d give it some Scottish, then some Irish, then some English, then some Russian, etc etc. REALLY screw with its head!
Raptor Rants
February 17, 2017 at 13:37
I don’t understand. I use google text to speech and it gets my stuff right 99% of the time.
Even when I ask it to take me to afrikaans named places.
Kromas Ryder
February 17, 2017 at 11:33
Anyone else read this and thought …
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e75f39fcb90792779750a3e775872bb3fb2e4b889bc5c019d0eb437e83ac67aa.jpg
Original Heretic
February 17, 2017 at 11:37
Oh yeah, use those two fingers wisely.
Admiral Chief
February 17, 2017 at 12:28
Looks like Riker’s filthy hands
Raptor Rants
February 17, 2017 at 13:35
100% thought that
miaau
February 17, 2017 at 12:41
When I had a windows phone, while driving:
Driving, get SMS from wife. Phone asks, through the car, if it can read it to me. I say yes. It does. Phone asks if I want to reply, I says yes. I speak clearly and carefully. Phone reads back: 90% of the time was correct. Send message. All while driving.
When I got an Android phone, while driving:
Phone beeps and stuff.
I have tried some apps for this….. not good.
Yeah, I think speakables are great, but where you use it the key. You cannot stand in a busy shopping trying to shout commands at something. That is a parents job.