The gadget that aims to put your mobile phone out of use is still very green

Even before the doors of the Fira de Barcelona opened for the Mobile World Congress in 2024, the event was already expected to be infused with the benefits of artificial intelligence. This main offer was confirmed on the first day of the exhibition, where all types of devices powered by this new technology, such as the Humane AI Pin, were presented. This accessory promises to become our personal virtual assistant Always available attached to a jacket or sweatshirt.

Humane AI Pin technology is not innovative, but its innovative proposition lies in its format, and this becomes evident when you see the number of people who constantly flock around it to watch how it works. It is presented as a wearable computer, although it could be described as a phone that can be attached to clothing.

Its size resembles the screen of a smartwatch, for example, from Xiaomi or Samsung. This is a rectangle with rounded edges, which has a built-in camera, projector, microphone, LED light and, of course, a built-in camera. eight-core Qualcomm processor with 4 GB of RAM.

This chip is responsible for running artificial intelligence locally, although some functions are dependent on the cloud. This is part of the idea of ​​hybrid artificial intelligence that Qualcomm champions with its partners in this publication. Ask artificial intelligence to translate the conversation This is a task that is performed inside the device, but searching for updated information is done by connecting to the cloud.

Those responsible for displaying this new device at the fair do not let visitors try it out, but show them live how it works. It all starts with a finger touching the front of the pin. to tell you to pay attention to the orders that will be given to you.

Pin listens and receives the question: “What will the weather be like tomorrow in Barcelona?” The conversation is conducted in English, and the assistant responds through a connected speaker that the user wears on his clothing. It can be connected to headphones to listen to answers more privately.

So far so good, but the second order is to translate your answer into Spanish. Those present immediately receive the answer: “Tomorrow the temperature in Barcelona will be from 16 to 9 degrees Celsius, sunny weather.” This same information can be obtained in writing rather than orally.. Using the built-in projector, draws information on the user’s hand.

Legible letters and numbers are reflected on the palm. Additionally, the wearer can move between a series of options by moving their hand. As if a series of balls are being rolled across the palm of your hand, the menu rotates with a slight movement of the hand. If you want to choose something, You just need to pinch the air with your index finger and thumb.

The device’s camera, in addition to capturing hand gestures to operate controls, functions as hardware. take photos and videos hands-free. The result is shown to us in the palm of our hand, where we can see the clear figures of the people surrounding the demonstration, but not their sharpness or color. Framing is easy to control, but other details depend more on the system than on the photographer.

We asked about the ability to view the map in the palm of your hand and were told that the idea was being shelved for a later date and was not currently available. The AI ​​Pin operating system is based on Android, making it compatible with all applications such as Google Maps.

To avoid running out of battery at any time, the pin has a replaceable base and can be stored in a case slightly larger than the AirPods. Its price, although only available in the US in pre-sale, is 699 dollars (644 euros at the exchange rate). As for the $24 per month subscription Humane is asking for to use the device, users who purchase AI Pin before March 31 will receive a three-month free offer.

In short, AI Pin appears to be far from a mobile phone replacement, no matter how ambitious it may be. Not only because of the dependence on the functionality of the smartphone, but also because of the need to use the palm of our hand to obtain information that we could otherwise see on the screen in a more convenient, more detailed and natural way. This is the beginning, but it’s still green It’s enough to leave our mobile phone in the drawer and focus solely on it.

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