Former Meta employees launch a ring to take voice notes and control music

A wave of voice-controlled devices designed for companionship, productivity, and personal development has recently emerged. Among these innovative gadgets are card-like devices from Plaud and Pocket, pendants from Friend and Limitless, and even a wristband from Bee, which is now under Amazon's umbrella. Adding to this trend, two ex-Meta employees have launched a startup named Sandbar, introducing a groundbreaking ring called Stream that serves a similar purpose. Dubbed "a mouse for voice," the Stream ring allows users to take notes, engage with AI assistants, and control their music seamlessly. Sandbar's CEO, Mina Fahmi, has a wealth of experience in human-computer interface design from his time at Kernel and Magic Leap. His co-founder, Kirak Hong, previously worked at Google and CTRL-Labs, where the two first collaborated. Their experiences at these innovative companies laid the groundwork for their focus on neural interfaces, ultimately leading to this new product. Fahmi's journey began with an experimental journaling app he developed as large language models started to gain traction. However, he discovered that the app itself became a hindrance to capturing his spontaneous thoughts. This realization prompted him and Hong to explore the concept of a conversational hardware interface. "Many of my ideas come to me while I'm walking or commuting, and I don’t want to disrupt that moment by pulling out my phone or speaking loudly into my earbuds," Fahmi explained in a TechCrunch interview. "We aimed to create a way to capture thoughts in real-time, and that's how Stream was born." Designed to be worn on the index finger of the dominant hand, the Stream ring features microphones and a touchpad. During a virtual demonstration, Fahmi showcased how he could record his thoughts by simply pressing and holding the touchpad, with the microphone activating only during this gesture. Impressively, the microphone can even pick up whispers, converting them into text via a companion iOS app. Other applications like Wispr Flow and Willow also allow for discreet thought capture. The Stream app includes a unique AI chatbot that interacts with users as they jot down ideas. Notes can be organized and edited by both the user and the AI, with features that allow users to review discussions over time. The app is designed to personalize the assistant's voice to resemble that of the user, enhancing the overall experience. In crowded environments, users can opt for headphones to converse privately with the assistant, while the ring provides haptic feedback for successful note-taking, enabling users to manage tasks and grocery lists quietly. In addition to its voice capabilities, the ring's flat surface acts as a media controller, enabling users to play, pause, and adjust volume without needing to reach for their phones. This feature is particularly handy during travel or when hands are otherwise occupied. Sandbar plans to start pre-orders for the Stream on Wednesday, with pricing set at $249 for the silver version and $299 for gold, aiming to begin shipping next summer. A premium subscription tier will be available, offering unlimited chats and notes for $10 per month after a complimentary three-month trial for pre-order customers. Fahmi emphasized the company's commitment to user data control, implementing encryption measures and supporting data exports to platforms like Notion, steering clear of restrictive ecosystems. Having secured $13 million in funding from investors including True Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and Betaworks, Sandbar is ready to carve its niche in the competitive voice-AI hardware market. True Ventures partner Toni Schneider expressed initial skepticism about AI devices but noted that the combination of voice and AI presented a compelling opportunity. "We realized there was a need for a new form factor that simplifies interactions with AI, and when Mina demonstrated Stream, it resonated with us," he shared. As competition heats up in the voice-AI hardware arena, Sandbar faces the challenge of proving that their ring can offer unique convenience and value over existing alternatives like pendants and wristbands. The journey ahead for Stream is filled with potential as it seeks to redefine how users express and communicate their ideas.