We all love to listen to music on the go, but what are you supposed to do with those earphones once you get to where you are going? If you don’t have a bag or you are headed out for the night, it usually makes more sense to just leave the tunes at home. If you do take them with you and toss them into a pocket or change purse, it inevitably results in a frustrating tangle. While this isn’t the type of problem that keeps me away at night, it is tough not to argue that there should be a more elegant solution to earphones.
The people behind Helix have decided to address this issue; they have created a wristband with integrated earphones to ensure you aways have the ability to move to your music. The attractive cuff was created by former Nest, Nokia, and IBM designers. While not svelte, Helix is as miniaturized as it could be to accommodate something that would stay in your ears. It houses a set of Bluetooth earbuds at one end of the cuff and the electronics and mic at the other. The two are connected via a headphone wire that runs the length of the Helix; simply lift the earphones and the entire assembly will easily pop out. Helix is currently being offered through Kickstarter (through a partnership with Ashley Chloe) starting at $99 and is available in 5 different color combinations. The accompanying earbuds match the wristband that you choose. The concept is interesting and a huge improvement over the design of some competing Bluetooth earbuds (read: anything with a collar) but with the electronics dangling, hopefully they are lightweight! It will be interesting to see if people want to keep their earphones on them at all times.
