If you’ve ever reached into your pocket or bag to grab your earbuds and come up with a handful of hopelessly tangled cord, you know the struggle. There are cases to hold them, but if you’re anything like us, you lose those pretty quickly. The designers behind Helix want to help you keep your earbuds nearby and tangle-free.

In the process, they’ve created a fashion accessory that effectively hides the technological prize inside. The wristband, which comes in a variety of main color/accent color combinations, opens up to reveal a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. With a couple of swift movements you release the earbuds from their storage spot, turn them on, and jam them in your ear-holes.

According to a study that the designers cite, people spend about four hours a day listening to headphones (not true for us in particular because we like to obnoxiously blast our music from our computer speakers, but whatever). As the Helix is still in the design refinement stages, there aren’t any customer testimonials about how comfortable the earbuds are over long periods.

The designers seem to have focused a lot more on the design of the wristband rather than on that of the earbuds themselves, which is a little troubling. The Bluetooth control unit hangs down a bit under the chin, vaguely bringing to mind the little string that holds a kid’s cowboy hat on. Still, the wristband IS very stylish and looks like it could be easily integrated into any wardrobe for any gender.

At the time of publication, the project’s Kickstarter campaign has raised more than double its initial funding goal. When/if the Helix makes it to retail markets, it will retail for $199. For that price, the sound quality had better be totally amazing. The last thing we need is another expensive wearable that we give up on after a few weeks because it proves to be pretty, but not exactly a powerhouse in the functionality department.

The post Wrap Music: This Wrist Cuff Holds Your Earbuds For You first appeared on Gajitz.

It would be easy to assume that Glow headphones are nothing more than a cheap gimmick: earbuds that light up. But the vision for Glow is much deeper than that. They’re designed to be the first headphones embedded with colored laser lights that pulsate along with your music.

The lasers in question come from cables made of Fibrance, a light-diffusing fiber from Corning. The fiber is flexible enough to bend and move the way you would expect earbud wires to move without losing any brightness.

Rafal Zboinski, the engineer behind Glow, also made an important decision which really makes Glow stand out among other earbuds. They’re compatible with Android devices, but iOS compatibility won’t come until later. That’s great news for Android users who have always had to wait for cool new technology to be tweaked and re-tooled to cater to them long after the iOS crowd gets their shot at owning it.

The Glow headphones aren’t just eye-catching because of their colored lights (which could be an awesome safety feature when you’re walking or jogging at night). They pulse along with the beat of your music to create your own personal light show. If the Kickstarter campaign reaches its stretch goal, the team will be able to incorporate a heart rate meter as well so you can keep an eye on your workout intensity.

Just like a lot of other earbuds, Glow features controls on the cord to change the volume and track, answer calls, and even take pictures with your phone (although it’s kind of unclear how that feature makes taking pictures any easier).

To further set the Glow apart from other headphones, the makers integrated top-notch sound components to optimize your listening experience. A slimline design makes the earbuds comfortable to wear even when you’re sleeping. While the Kickstarter campaign is running, supporters can get a pair for $149, which is $50 off of the projected retail price.

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Flying may be the fastest way to get you from Point A to Point B, but it comes with its share of annoying disturbances. One of the worst is the pain and hearing interruptions that happen when the pressure in the passenger cabin changes. It isn’t a problem for everyone, but for some people it’s a seriously annoying issue that can last far longer than the flight itself. Quirky plans to produce a set of earbuds that will equalize the pressure in your ears when you fly.

The idea comes from inventor Clark Bish, who is a longtime sufferer of air travel-related ear pain. According to Bish, 2.5 billion people suffer from this particular type of discomfort, and Bish’s own condition is severe enough that it persists for days after he flies. His earbuds, dubbed Equalizers, work by creating an airtight seal between the earbud and the ear canal. This seal cuts off the inner ear from pressure fluctuations in the plane cabin.

Thin air tubes let the user manually adjust the pressure in each ear. They also work as actual earbuds, allowing you to listen to music or white noise during your flight. A button lets you turn off the music and let in outside noises so that you don’t have to take the earbuds out. Putting the earbuds in when you board and leaving them in until after the plane lands will eliminate the problem of ear pressure pain altogether. The product isn’t yet in production, but Quirky is developing it; hopefully by the next time we have to fly we’ll be able to ditch the chewing gum and, pop these little guys in, and avoid the annoying ear pressure and popping altogether.

The post Ear Pressure-Relieving Earbuds Make Flying Less Painful first appeared on Gajitz.

If you’ve ever tried to work out with a conventional corded pair of earbuds, you’ve probably had to deal with tangled cords – maybe you’ve even accidentally pulled your earbuds out when the cords get tangled in your hands or equipment. Dash wireless headphones are in-ear devices that do way more than play your favorite workout playlist.

Dash headphones come in three different sizes to fit tightly into the ear so they stay put as you go about your daily routine. The internal 4GB MP3 player can hold plenty of music; the MP3 player is controlled by touching the surfaces of the earbuds. Each performs different functions, and after you memorize them you can control your music without pausing your workout.

The Dash headphones are connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth and can also be used to make and receive calls. Passive noise cancellation keeps your music and phone calls clear, though if you want to allow ambient sound through (such as when you need to listen for oncoming cars) there’s a simple control for that.

Music and phone functions are just the beginning of the Dash’s capabilities. The headphones also act as a fitness tracker by measuring your heart rate, oxygen saturation, calories burned, and other workout data. The information is run through the Dash smartphone app so you can track your fitness goals and achievements. Starting at $179, the earbuds sailed past their Kickstarter goal and will soon be a common sight in the gym and on the street.

The post Earbuds Act as Music Player, Fitness Tracker + Smartphone first appeared on Gajitz.

One of the more annoying aspects of wireless devices is that they’re often not wireless. Most of them need some sort of hub, which makes the actual product wireless but requires wires itself. Headphones are one of the worst culprits, but not for long thanks to the Split.

The Split is a Kickstarter campaign that features a pair of earbuds, completely wireless and self-contained. No transmitter is necessary as each bud contains its own battery, memory chip and processor. And unlike similar products, these won’t empty your bank account.

While it boasts some impressive features (biting down once changes tracks, twice changes the volume), the Split’s complete autonomy is also its biggest detractor. Songs can only be loaded directly onto the earbuds, with a weak maximum capacity of 256MB. There are, however, future plans to link them to an app. “With that app you will be able to manage and upload songs onto Split,” says founder Marco Scandurra. If fully realized, these could be the next step in the evolution of how we consume music.

The post Truly Wireless Design Finally Sets Your Ear Buds Free first appeared on Gajitz.