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Waterproof MP3 Player Uses Bone Conduction
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."
The only painful bit is getting the 3.5mm jack inserted into the back of your skull.
This may be new to the MP3 world, but this method is nothingnew.
"The BAHA is a surgically implantable system for treatment of hearing loss that works through direct bone conduction. It has been used since 1977, and was cleared by the FDA in 1996 as a treatment for conductive and mixed hearing losses in the United States. In 2002, the FDA approved its use for the treatment of unilateral sensorineural hearing loss." from here
Mark
Oh to be a shark. The meat is much more tender without fear-induced adrenaline pumped into it.
Trolling is a art,
But the mental picture of an iPod sitting in a fish tank conducting an orchestra with a bone is just...odd.
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Does anybody here know the frequency response of cheek bone? I would expect it to filter high frequencies.
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.
I'm sure "SlashdotMedia" will improve on all the wonders that Dice Holdings blessed us all with
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.
More music, fewer hits
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!
*#*#*#*#*#******* I love peanut butter sandwiches!
Bone conduction is actually a pretty good idea: the ear drum is too close to the density of the water to stop any sound wave when in immersion. The bones are hard enough to stop the fast sound waves though. Basically the bones from the neck and skull resonate and carry the vibrations.
Gizmodo pointed out that they didn't mention any depth information in their press release, so it probably isn't designed for diving.
"You're older than you've ever been, and now you're even older."
A product that was poorly marketed in the late 1970's was called the "Bone Phone." It was a walkman-style audio player intended for runners, and you heard the music through your bones (no earpiece). I believe it was invented by a Princetonian. If any patents are claimed on this, there is prior art! - systems curmudgeon, AKA: The Precision Blogger http://precision-blogging.blogspot.com
Bone Fone is a 70's example employing acoustic conduction through the body as opposed to the evolutionary air to ear route.
WW-II AT&T 'throat microphone' also made use of 'conductued' sound and it was common for early (20's) radio operators to place their headphones on skull or jaw behind ears rather than over ears. This afforded some degree of 'automatic volume control', protected them from loud static crashes, and made it easier to discern a weak signal when near a strong one.
Back when I swam a lot we puT speakers inside plastic bags and hung them ver the side of the pool. It was OK when both ears were under water but not practical for listening while swimming. Combined with speakers above the water it wasn't much better. Swimming is pretty noisy and indoor pool acoustics generally suck.
Do not look into LASER with remaining eye!
I'll first have to ask Frank if he doesn't mind the company in there.
Colonel: Snake! Can you hear me?
Snake: I tried so hard... in the end... doesn't really matter...
Colonel: Snake?
Snake: I had to fall... lose it all...
Colonel: Who the f**k gave him an MP3 player?!
Naomi: err...
Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
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...
A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God.
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...