Portable music devices and cellular phones have becomes commonplace in our lives as sources of both entertainment and vital communication tools. They are however, both such similar devices in the way that they interface with their users, that they often are combined into convergence devices like iPhones, pocket pcs, and music playing cell phones. What is so common about them beyond having integrated circuits and batteries?

The two types of devices are truly similar in the way that they interface with their human via headphones and microphones. Do you listen to your iPod, and take out an ear bud when you want to answer your cell phone? Do you have an ugly bluetooth headset that picks up as much ambient noise as it does your voice? How many have fallen apart on you thanks to their toy like build quality?

Here is my proposed solution, lets take a page from military technology, a page from wireless technology, and a page from wearable computing technology, and make something new.

I want somebody to make me a high quality, bluetooth throat microphone / stereo headphone convergence device. The use of throat microphones go back to World War II era tank commanders and aircraft crews, because they allow them to communicate in loud environments without ambient noise interfering with the clarity. The microphones pick up noise directly from the throat, which means that only your voice is heard.

Here is John Mclean rocking a military grade one.

The advantage of a throat microphone goes far beyond ambient noise however, because it can secured via a comfortable textile strap on your neck, meaning that it will not fall off accidentally. Again, because this system is not rigid, but is instead flexible, you would be hard pressed to physically break the system as well.

I think we could take this concept to the next level, by providing the user with headphones as well as a microphone. A manufacturer could mount headphones on either side of the neck belt that pull out and retract back into the neck band when not in use. Include series a of flat batteries in the rest of the open space on the system, and bluetooth chip with hands free and stereo bluetooth compatibility, and bam!, you have a device that you can wear all day and use to listen to your music, and talk to other people on, without it breaking, falling off, picking up annoying ambient noise, or generally pissing the user off.

No more of this crappy plastic headset crap. I want a device made out of quality textile material, maybe kevlar or canvas, and a durable metal or composite material. I want to be able to talk to people, and listen to music, when I want, where I want, without having to switch between components or worry about things breaking.

Yay for plastic crap! You think you look cool wearing this? Maybe if you were a Lego man…

No, of course this is not for everyone. I have no problem wearing a sexy collar like device whenever I want to do my communicating or listening, but I know that many people might feel that they are unattractive or uncomfortable to wear if they are unaccustomed to “choker” like neck wear. However, I could see a large market for such devices.

First, there are people like me who are more worried about functionality and durability than style. Second, there are people like me who think it would actually be stylish in a cyberpunk sort of way. Or, there could be a large market for consumers who want this sort of functionality in adverse environments. These would be people like motorcyclists, owners of convertibles, speedboat owners, nightclub employees, people who drive loud cars (me!), joggers, athletes, skateboarders, bikers, anyone who wears a helmet, construction workers… the list goes on.

So here is my wish list for features.

1. Replaceable Designer neckbands to suit various aesthetic tastes
2. High quality materials
3. Dual pickup microphones
4. Velcro to put it on and take it off quickly and easily
5. Retractable stereo headphones
6. Competitive cost
7. Quality audio drivers

There are similar products out there for 2 way radios, but no no, I want it for stereo music, and a cellular phone. There are one or two cell phone models, but they are fully plastic, and look like they are going to snap in half by looking at them. Check it out, this one is sold by bikeintercom

Maybe I should just make myself one of these when I get back to the USA and have a workspace… hmm… there is an idea.

Feel free to steal my idea, just please give me a free model and credit!

- The Digital Kitty