As the industry pushes toward conspicuous AI wearables like pins and glasses, Sandbar is developing a more discreet alternative. The Stream smart ring focuses on capturing the user's own voice for seamless transcription and assistant integration.
Advances in Speech Processing
The proliferation of Large Language Models has triggered a significant leap in dictation technology. Current models, including budget-friendly versions, now demonstrate high proficiency in processing and understanding human speech. While various apps like Monologue, Handy, Spokenly, and WisprFlow facilitate faster drafting of Slack messages and emails, some still struggle with overly formal formatting or unnatural punctuation.
Over the last few months, I've spent a lot of time talking to my computer. One underrated feature of the LLM revolution has been a remarkable leap in all kinds of dictation technology - even the fastest, cheapest models are getting very good at understanding and processing speech.
I've tested lots of these apps, from WisprFlow to Monologue to Spokenly to Handy to so many others, and have found them all to be useful ways to quickly write emails, Slack messages, and more. They sometimes default to giving everything a too-formal style of formatting and love ending a text message with a period (like a sociopath), but they're getting better at th … Over the last few months, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to my computer.
The Stream Hardware Concept
Sandbar CEO Mina Fahmi is developing the Stream, a smart ring consisting of a battery, Bluetooth connectivity, and a microphone. Unlike portable recorders from firms such as Mobvoi, FoCase, Plaud, or Pocket that target meeting summaries, the Stream is an introverted tool. It emphasizes personal voice capture, featuring a touchpad for activation and a promised whisper mode for private transcription.
But nothing has convinced me of the future of talking to my computer quite like a demo I got recently from Mina Fahmi. Fahmi is the CEO of Sandbar, which is making a smart ring called the Stream that is scheduled to ship later this year.
As I sat in a conference room in Sandbar’s New York City offices, Fahmi gave me a rundown of the device’s features, including the latest one: dictation to all your devices. He opened up a new note in Apple Notes, held the ring up to his mouth, pressed the device’s touchpad with his thumb, and chatted quietly to himself for a few seconds.
A moment after he finished, two complete — and correctly transcribed — sentences appeared in the note. [Media: https://twitter.com/minafahmi/status/2077794603286044840] The Stream itself is basically just a microphone, a battery, and a Bluetooth connection to your phone.
Cross-Platform Integration
The device aims to eliminate the friction of using smartphones as input systems. While current functionality resides largely within a companion app, Sandbar intends for the ring to integrate directly with existing third-party tools. A recent demonstration showed the ring dictating text seamlessly across both an iPhone and a Mac after a firmware update.
You could describe a lot of AI gadgets the same way, now that seemingly everyone wants to sell you a way to record your conversations and meetings to extract summaries and action items. Companies like Plaud and Pocket and FoCase and Mobvoi and so many others are all happy to sell you these portable recorders — bonus points if it sticks to your phone to record phone calls.
Fahmi and Sandbar are trying to do something different. The Stream is a more introverted device, focused on capturing your voice rather than everyone else’s. (Another of the ring’s promised features is a whisper mode — Fahmi spoke to the thing so quietly I couldn’t hear a word he said, and the Stream still transcribed perfectly.
Or at least Fahmi said it did.) Fahmi says the idea for the device came because he likes to walk a lot and got annoyed having to dig out his phone every time he had an idea or wanted to ask his AI assistant for something.
Solving Input Friction
Traditional smartphone inputs require multiple steps to record a thought, while public speaking to AI assistants remains socially awkward. The Stream is designed for users who want to take notes or query AI during activities like walking without the need to unlock a phone or disrupt others in public spaces.
Key signals
- Sandbar's Stream ring is scheduled to ship later this year.
- The device focuses on three primary tasks: dictation, note-taking, and AI assistant interaction.
- Firmware updates now allow the ring to dictate text across multiple devices.
- I've tested lots of these apps, from WisprFlow to Monologue to Spokenly to Handy to so many others, and have found them all to be useful ways to quickly write emails, Slack messages, and more.
- Fahmi and Sandbar are trying to do something different.
What to watch
Whether Sandbar can successfully transition from its companion app to full integration with diverse third-party text boxes and assistants.
Source and methodology
This Intelligence Daily briefing preserves the key facts published by The Verge AI and organizes them into a fuller, reader-friendly report. Read the original reporting.