Waterproof MP3 Player Uses Bone Conduction 257
An anonymous reader writes "Aquatic training product manufacturer Finis has just released a waterproof digital music portable for swimmers and surfers that claims to solve a problem with such devices in the water. Regular earphones don't work well because they need an uninterrupted air channel to function. What makes the SwiMP3 unique is that it uses bone conduction to stimulate the inner ear and deliver sound."
But how deep? (Score:3, Interesting)
Frequency response? (Score:5, Interesting)
Where (Score:0, Interesting)
It looks weird, but (Score:5, Interesting)
How does it sound (Score:5, Interesting)
Creepy sounds in my head! (Score:4, Interesting)
No really, I'm serious! This is why speakers are so much more popular than headphones: the sound appears to be coming from somewhere! With good headphones, you can still get a reasonable effect (My sennheisers make it seem like the music is right there at the outside of my ears, which is just where I like it) but with direct stimulation it's just not pleasant to have directionless noise coming from outta nowhere!
Comment removed (Score:1, Interesting)
All the Tri-Geeks will have one of these... (Score:4, Interesting)
Why bother? (Score:1, Interesting)
Everywhere we are bombarded with mindless noise.
Now you can't even go swimming without having your mp3 collection zapped into your inner ear. Insanity.
Also could be good for certain types of hearing lo (Score:3, Interesting)
This technology has been used in some types of hearing aids for years - again, for people who have small or missing external ear canals.
Just my winamp-in-a-headset's worth.
RickTheWizKid
Limited Functionality (Score:2, Interesting)
possibilities for hearing impaired? (Score:4, Interesting)
I wonder about the possibilities of this technology for certain types of hearing impairment.
my bone-conduction hearing is far better than my air-conduction hearing in tests. they could be onto something here...
medical issues? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:How does it sound (Score:0, Interesting)
Take an electric motor from a remote controlled car, and wire it up to a 3.5mm jack. Stick the jack in a headphone socket, and then play some music - the motor won't spin, but it will vibrate. Now, gently bite the metal axle.
Near-perfect sound! Ok, it's not exactly audiophile quality, but we're talking about biting a fucking motor here; stick some R&D time in like they have and I can believe it'll sound fine.
Ah, a modern version of the 'bone phone' (Score:3, Interesting)
Sold by DAK and later ( i think ) sharperimage..
It was a radio.. And it fit over your neck like a towel.. And rather expensive from what i remember, but cool
Re:It looks weird, but (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Limited Functionality (Score:3, Interesting)
A MP3 played on this player will sound like it's "all around you", coming from all directions. It's omniphonic sound. That's why there's not really a point in having stereo MP3s. You could convert them to mono and squeeze in more songs.
Re:Why not? (Score:1, Interesting)
Look it up yourself. The speed of sound (I don't have an exact figure) underwater is much higher and thus, different.
Still not new (Score:4, Interesting)
Even ignoring the potential problems for folks with inner ear troubles who want to dive (the music via bone conduction could contribute further toward disorientation and dizziness from such problems) the sound via this method sucked then, I suspect it will still suck now. There's a great step from "Wow I was deaf and now am able to hear!" to "...and I want to pay money to listen to lo-fi music through this thing while I'm diving (or any other time) because...?"
I have a pretty messed up right ear and I am a terrible swimmer, but even still I love the water. One of the things I love most is the difference in sound between out of the water and underwater. Why would anyone want to interrupt that rare peace with noise from the terrestrial world?
Re:Still not new (Score:4, Interesting)
The sound perceived by bone conduction is typically lo-fidelity, mostly the lows and mid-range frequencies are heard, but the highs are basically non-existant.
Despite the fact that when most people say 'mp3' these days they expect us to think 'music' (or even 'pirated music'!), I see this as a potential boon to Masters swimming instructors. I will soon be joining a Masters swim team simply to improve my breathing technique and to learn how to turn, and from what I have seen it seems pretty silly to have the instructor screaming at the top of his lungs for the few milliseconds that a swimmer's ear is above the surface while taking a breath.
This device could allow the instructor to issue guidance and instructions pretty much full-time to an immersed swimmer. Now THAT would be a practical and useful application.
As for surfing (the REAL kind of surfing where you get wet, not sitting on your fat ass browsing web pages), I know that Craig, Topher, Buddy, Beaker, and Vax would miss my various renditions that I sing while we're out in the lineup waiting for a waves, so I'll pass on this device for that application. Besides, it's healthier to be able to hear the maladjusted sociopath who is threatening you for surfing "his break".
Re:Creepy sounds in my head! (Score:2, Interesting)
Some manufacturers of headphone amplifiers (http://headroom.headphone.com/ [headphone.com]) include a simple processor that feeds some of the left channel to the right headphone with the appropriate attenuation and delay, and vica versa. I use one of these and love it. The concious effect is subtle, but you find that you can listen to headphones for a much, much longer time before you get that "Aaaagh! Gotta take these off!" effect.
Bone conduction... (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:How does it sound (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:possibilities for hearing impaired? (Score:4, Interesting)
Sorry to burst your bubble! Rest assured that it took me a looong time when I was young to understand that my grandmother (whose was deaf from birth) could feel sound, but couldn't hear it.
Re:But how deep? (Score:3, Interesting)