These smart headphones come with a Google Glass lookalike on the side
The unholy union between a pair of over-ear headphones and wearable display that bares a more than passing resemblance to Google Glass. That's how we're going to summarize the SiMe smart headphones. It's a self-contained media player and, by virtue of being attached to large, cushioned headphones, it's one of the more comfortable head-mounted displays this editor has awkwardly modeled in recent years. ChipSiP's "SiME Smart Headphones" are the evolution of its existing (and more familiar-looking) smart glasses. Those are already on sale to developers for around $550 -- and there's a lot of overlap of the tech inside. A spokeswoman told us that ChipSiP hopes to launch in the next three months, although what we wore at Computex in Taipei this week remained prototype hardware.
The headphones run Android 4.4, steered by a touchpad integrated into the projection display arm. It's pitched as an entertainment peripheral, combining headphones with a tiny screen to (just about) watch videos and navigate around online content. You can also use the headset to stream music and video directly from Android phones. (There's a phone remote control function baked into the software -- you just could use it as an overly complicated music player if you wanted.)
The headphones look a lot like a gaming headset, but wireless and without the neon-like-an-energy-drink color scheme. It also has a 180-degree hinge that articulates without hitting your face, meaning the screen can be raised out of the way if you're only focused on audio. It also means the device can be flipped around to work on both eyes. Is it a little bit ridiculous? Yep. Is it comfortable? Well, yes. Are you going to be able to buy one in the States this year? We'll see about that.
