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Waterproof MP3 Player Uses Bone Conduction

Posted by michael on from the reverb dept.

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."

6 of 257 comments (clear)

  1. Frequency response? by ByteSlicer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Does anybody here know the frequency response of cheek bone? I would expect it to filter high frequencies.

  2. It looks weird, but by Megaweapon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder if it would also work in generally loud (and not underwater) areas where you don't want to block some sounds with regular earphones.

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    I'm sure "SlashdotMedia" will improve on all the wonders that Dice Holdings blessed us all with
  3. How does it sound by OglinTatas · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How does it deal with the accoustics of bone instead of air? In my head, my voice sounds like a sexy baritone, but when I hear my voice in voicemail, it sounds tinny and whiney. My point is that sounds coming through the air sound a whole lot different than sounds that resonate in your head.

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    More music, fewer hits
  4. Creepy sounds in my head! by RocketRainbow · · 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!

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  5. possibilities for hearing impaired? by CrudPuppy · · 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...

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    A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God.
  6. medical issues? by ifnkovhgroghprm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've seen a bunch of devices lately that transmit signals through the body in various ways. This one uses your bones to transmit audio. I'm wondering if they've done enough analysis to see what kinds of medical problems might pop up after prolonged use of this device. I wouldn't want rapid onset of osteoporosis to occur because of an MP3 player...