XOWi: The First Trek-Like Communicator Voice Badge

Get ready for it; a Star Trek science fiction device is now a reality! XOWi is a small wearable badge that allows the user to communicate through voice interactions without involving the use of your hands or eyes. That’s handy; pun intended. I can’t help it though; think of how easy it would be with no screens to look at or smartphone to hold.

Just one push of the button on your smart badge and you can talk.  Wearable tech is becoming more and more popular as technology gets more advanced. This device could help so many people while they’re working on the job. Whether you’re a desk jockey, surgeon, visually impaired or a starship Captain, the XOWi will make your life easier.

What exactly can XOWi do for me?

So XOWi isn’t just another way to talk on the iPhone because it’s not like a boring Bluetooth device. Besides being able to talk with others, it can also: update you on traffic conditions, play podcasts or music, give you a weather report, read a new message on Facebook, find out who your new Twitter followers are, turn your porch lights on, get updated on your eBay bid, and much more.

Co-Founder and CEO of XOWi, Inc., Ahmed Bouzid, gives us a great example of how the XOWi will make a difference for people, “if you are in your office, alone, writing on your computer and you hear the ding-ding sound alerting you that you have received a text message, you will need to take your hands off your keyboard, your eyes off the screen, retrieve your smartphone, tap and swipe a few times before you are able to read the text.  With a badge that you have on you, the interaction is as follows: the badge makes a sound and then listens for you to say, ‘Yes XOWi.’  If it hears you say that, it then tells you that you have a text message, you say, ‘Tell me more’ and XOWi gives you the details.  Your hands remain on the keyboard and your eyes on the screen.”

They also wanted their device to be used by, not only the traditional smartphone users, but also by those who can’t use their hands and eyes.

Wear it anywhere

Because this is a wearable device, it is ALWAYS with you. It is so effortless since you don’t have to look for it and don’t need to remember to take it with you if you leave somewhere because it will always be attached to you. Wear as a necklace, on your jacket lapel, or clip it to your shirt. Also, just in case you don’t always want to wear it, you can attach it to a laptop, book cover, lampshade or even your iPad. Ahmed and his other co-founders came up with the idea because of all the upcoming popularity around wearable technology.

Ahmed tells us, “The three form factors where voice is deployed are the wrist (smart watch) and the face (Google Glass).  Neither respects the core value of Speech: Eyes free and hands free.  So, fully convinced that the badge form factor is the best one for pure voice interactions -- very much like Star Trek showed us with the Star Trek Comm Badge - we decided to undertake the delivery of the wearable Voice Badge.” Because of their genius idea, a whole new world has opened up to allow for easier situations where interactions were not possible because our hands or eyes were otherwise occupied or disabled. “Look, Ma! No hands!”

XOWi Inc, plans to release the XOWi to the general public in the summer of 2014, however, they plan to ship the first devices to their Kickstarter pledges starting in March 2014. They also plan to keep this awesome device affordable so right now pledgers are paying $149, but their eventual goal is to keep it below $100.  Go check out their Kickstarter page for more details and for some awesome videos to learn more about this futuristic wearable device.

By Breann Jensen

Breann Jensen: ZAGG tech blogger, photographer, workout buddy, and Apple fan girl. You can find her looking for the next big idea on kickstarter using her iPad. Interviewing kickstarters and getting the scoop on the next cool tech gadgets.