Holding a phone is so last year.
The Humane Pin, a wearable smartphone alternative that functions as a personal AI assistant, is now available widely available in the US starting Thursday.
Pin has generated a lot hype, promising an AI-powered smartphone alternative that helps users be more present. It was one of TIME's best inventions of 2023.
The futuristic wearable attaches magnetically to clothing and becomes a voice-activated AI assistant, like a faster Siri or Alexa, that can make calls, send messages, take notes and find answers to complex questions .
It costs $699 or $799 depending on color and requires a $24-a-month service plan through Humane, in partnership with T-Mobile's 4G network. The plan includes unlimited talk, text and data with a dedicated phone number.
Humane He Drinks. Photo Credit: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Humane's husband-and-wife co-founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno said Ai Pin is the first step toward a screen-free future.
“We like to say that the experience is screen-free, seamless and responsive, allowing you to harness the power of computing while remaining present in your environment,” Chaudhri said during a April 2023 TED Talk which has been viewed 3.5 million times.
it's EMPOWERING by technology from ChatGPT creator OpenAI and supported by Microsoft's cloud computing services.
Chaudharywho worked as Apple's design director for more than 20 years, and Good morningwho was Apple's director of software engineering for more than 8 years, began to conceive Ai Pin in 2017.
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Instead of a screen, the Ai Pin beams a Laser Ink projection onto a user's palm, which they can then control with a series of hand gestures.
A camera built into the device helps users capture moments and even get calorie estimates for food right in front of them. If a user asks “What am I looking at?” Pin's camera will look at the scene and identify objects in it, which can be useful for sightseeing. Now Pini can also take 15 second HD videos.
A “light of faith” light whenever the camera, microphone or Pin sensors are active.
Gesture control of a Humane Ai pin laser ink screen projection. Photo Credit: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg via Getty Images
That Pin also has an interpreter function with real-time audio translations in more than 50 languages.
or USA Today the reviewer called it “the best real-time language translator I've tested to date.”
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Other recent reviews present a mixed opinion of Pin's effectiveness at the moment.
Engadget has written on Thursday the Pin has its downsides – the laser display was hard to see outside on cloudy days and the heavy audio controls sometimes presented a problem.
“Speaking loudly and having content stated in an audio format is not really something most people can use in public,” the review said.
He also noted that asking about the weather required listening to an audio response before Pin could project more details, and that typing in a Wi-Fi password was “not only a pain, but almost impossible” and required extra steps.
Washington Post directed that messaging was tricky on Pin, with some messages not going through as intended, and it said the device tends to overheat.
But Bongiorno is optimistic.
“As with all Generation 1 products, this is just the starting point,” Bongiorno posted at X on Thursday.
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