Will the $699 product from former Apple employees fulfill this ambition?
Five years ago, two former Apple designers, Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, founded Humane, a startup focused on artificial intelligence. After years of research, Humane has officially announced its first product—a digital pin priced at $699.
Ai Pin in black version.
In an interview with NYTimes, Humane stated that the goal of Ai Pin is to lead users into a “post-smartphone future,” allowing them to make calls, send messages, and search for information through voice control without needing a connection to their phone. The device also features a laser projector, turning the palm of your hand into a small screen that can display the time, date, or any information you seek.
Laser screen controlled by hand gestures.
The Ai Pin has a square design that can magnetically clip onto your clothing. However, the clip is not just a magnet; it also serves as a detachable battery, meaning you can replace the battery as needed without waiting for a recharge. The battery lasts about 4 hours on a single charge, and the accompanying charging case provides an additional 4 hours of use. The surface of the Pin also acts as a touchpad, protected by Gorilla Glass.
Powering this smart pin is a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 32GB of internal storage, and it uses cameras, depth sensors, and motion detectors to monitor and record the surrounding environment. The device includes a built-in speaker that Humane refers to as a “personal speaker” and can connect to Bluetooth headphones.
Charging case included.
Since there is no display, Humane has devised new ways to interact with the Pin. Essentially, it is a voice-driven device, but it also features a green laser projector that can project information onto your hand. Humane calls this “Laser Ink Display.” Interaction with the Laser Ink Display can be done by moving your palm, and users can select items by tapping their fingers similarly to the touch actions used for the Double feature on the Apple Watch.
Tapping the Ai Pin and speaking will activate “Ai Mic”, which can respond to questions and assist users in finding information, in addition to offering translation capabilities. Humane claims that Ai Pin “is fluent in many languages” and can provide real-time speech translation. Users can also request the device to play music.
Using Ai Pin to look up product prices online.
The Ai Pin integrates a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera, allowing users to take photos and videos by double-tapping with two fingers or issuing voice commands. You can view photos via the “Center” website on any web browser. This site also contains notes taken, music listened to, reminders, etc. You can also view images captured through the laser screen, though, of course, the quality will be quite poor.
Device includes a camera for taking photos and videos.
Users can inform Ai Pin about their activities and nutritional goals to track progress and gain insights into calorie intake. Naming a specific food item into Ai Pin allows the device to provide nutritional information and can inform users whether that food is “safe” to eat based on their health goals.
Ai Pin can analyze the nutritional value of foods.
There are no apps on the Pin; the device’s operating system is called Cosmos and utilizes a seamless system that can call upon various AIs and other tools as needed. Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and other companies are contributing AI services for Ai Pin.
The Ai Pin is capable of functioning entirely independently without needing a smartphone connection. The device integrates mobile connectivity, has its own phone number, and can be used to answer phone calls from trusted contacts designated by the wearer. Humane states that Ai Pin can intelligently identify unfamiliar contacts, enabling interactions with food delivery personnel as per orders.
Pre-orders for Ai Pin will begin in the U.S. on November 16. Ai Pin is priced at $700 and requires a monthly subscription of $24 to use the device on Humane’s network, provided by T-Mobile.
