Bluetooth earbuds like Dre’s new Powerbeats aren’t actually “cordless.” They still have a cable running from one bud to the other, which puts a limit on just how tidy and inconspicuous they can be. A group of former Sony Ericsson and Nokia engineers reckon they can go a step further: losing the connecting cable and headset mic in order to create two miniscule, music-dedicated buds with independent batteries and AptX-compatible wireless receivers.
Known collectively as “Earin” — though it’s hard not to think of them as “Earins” — the buds promise three hours on a charge. Admittedly, that sort of battery life isn’t great, especially if it’s an ideal spec rather than the dependable minimum, but the engineers have a solution for this too: When not in use, you place the Earins in a small tube that both protects and re-charges them, using its own battery.
via Engadget
