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Elroy wants to hang with you
If you saw my post earlier today about Klingg, you might think that a new Kickstarter project -- Elroy -- is similar. Both hold onto your clothing, both have something to do with earbuds. But that's where the similarity stops. Elroy is a tiny Bluetooth device that's meant to do away with long earbud cables by clipping onto a collar and using special "shorty cord earbuds" instead. You don't need to worry about the Elroy project being funded -- it reached a US$30,000 funding goal in less than eight hours, and the founders are well on the way to their stretch goal of producing custom earbuds in the US. At the current time, the device will ship with high-quality shorty earbuds made in China. The base unit that clips onto your clothing weighs just 12 grams and the earbuds add only 3.8 grams to the total. That base unit is tiny, measuring a scant 1.9 x 0.8 x 0.3 inches, and is recharged through a micro-USB port. Using multipoint, Elroy can be paired to seven different devices. One really unique feature is magnetic activation. The earbuds will have a magnetic dock like that on the Klingg so that you can attach the earpieces to the Elroy base unit when they're not in use. However, there's a big difference. When a call comes in, you can pull one or both of the earbuds away from the dock and Elroy will answer the call. To hang up, you just place the earbud back onto the magnet. Elroy's founder, Rob Honeycutt, is no newcomer to mass production. He was the founder of custom bag manufacturer Timbuk2 before selling the business in 2005. There are still a couple of weeks to back Elroy if you want to get in on the action.
Elroy is smarter than your average Bluetooth earbuds (video)
Tangled earbuds may pass as artwork in Portland(ia), but in real life, they're nothing short of an irritating mess. Fortunately, that's where Bluetooth alternatives come into play, and there's a new set that combines style and intelligent functions. Meet Elroy, the brainchild of Timbuk2's founder, Rob Honeycutt. Elroy took to Kickstarter this morning, and as a nice twist, the setup features magnetic docking mounts that hold your earbuds secure when they're not in use. Better yet, Elroy allows you to answer calls or play music by removing the earbuds from the magnetic mounts. Likewise, you'll be able to end calls or pause your music by attaching the earbuds to the Bluetooth unit. Speaking of Bluetooth, it's based on the W32 audio module from Bluegiga, which supports pairing with up to seven devices. The Elroy includes a set of short earbuds, but if you'd prefer to use your own, there's a 3.5mm jack for compatibility sake. Kickstarter backers can snag an Elroy -- which is made in the US, by the way -- for a donation of $79, which is scheduled to ship in August. If that's a bit too rich for your blood, however, you can also snag a nice warm fuzzy feeling for $10.
