- W&O X1 headphones come with an attached camera
- New concerns raised over illicit recordings
- There is a recording light that turns on when the camera is active.
The debate around smart glasses with connected cameras continues (and apparently Meta still has plans for glasses that constantly record the world around them) and now we have a new pair of bone conduction headphones that lose the glasses but keep the camera.
They’re called W&O X1 (via New Atlas) and of course, they’re packed with plenty of AI. This onboard assistant can help you navigate to locations, identify landmarks, search for facts and answers online, and even translate between languages. All of this happens through voice control and spoken responses.
To provide some of that AI functionality, the W&O X1 headphones are equipped with a 4K video camera supplied by Samsung. You can take photos and videos with a touch or voice command, which can then be saved and analyzed as needed, and for the sake of privacy, a small recording light shows when the camera is active.
The headset can also function as a miniature action camera, capturing high-resolution video at 30 frames per second with a 130-degree wide-angle view, with what looks like impressive anti-shake technology built in too. Oh, and did we mention they can also play music and make phone calls?
“Most headphones are made for listening,” explains W&O in the product listing. “X1 is designed to see, hear, understand, record, translate, navigate and stay connected on the move. It is a wearable AI system designed for the world outside the screen.”
Privacy concerns
The idea of wearable cameras is becoming even more popular now, with the increasing capabilities of AI and the continued reduction of the components needed. There’s something appealing about being able to capture memories instantly, without having to reach for a phone and search for the camera app.
At the same time, there are real concerns when it comes to privacy. Smart glasses already on the market make it too easy to record surreptitiously, and a small camera attached to a pair of headphones is even harder to see. There is even now a BanRay movement calling for smart glasses to be banned in certain spaces.
To be fair to W&O, these headphones seem to be aimed at cyclists, hikers and other outdoor people, so they’re more for solo photo and video recording. Still, along with other devices in the pipeline, it highlights a growing need to implement proper protections around devices with small built-in cameras.
The W&O
There are some decent specs here: IP6X protection against dust and water, a lightweight 48-gram build, support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and 30 hours of music playback between charges thanks to a built-in 800mAh battery.
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