Talk on the phone through your ear

(Credit: Nikkei Net Interactive)

There's certainly no shortage of communications products that promise to muffle ambient noise, but a new earbud microphone from Japan is taking an interesting approach: It picks up speech from the ear, not from the mouth. We're not kidding.

That's the explanation given by Nikkei Net Interactive about the "InCore" microphone from start-up Nap Enterprise. The company claims that the technology allows mobile phone conversations "in even very noisy settings like concert halls and construction sites," according to Textually.org, reducing external noise by 30 decibels.

It's just another example of the human skull's evolution as a piece of audio equipment.

[JohnBarbagallo]

New definition to "Good Vibrations"?

Great idea and great execution of the idea. I wonder how well it works, though.

[seenthrough]

Old News Hear

Jabra had one of these years ago. It was called the Ear Phone. FYI

[cookeaj1]

Surprised it didn't come sooner

We've had this type of thing for a while now in the tactical/police/military community. My favorite is a piece that you wear around your neck, it can transmit almost a whisper clear as day.

[iamjackalope]

Radio Ear bone vibrator

This technology has been around for a while. It was developed for the US Navy Seals to communicate in hostile situations. Was later turned over to public domain amd contracted to Radio Ear. The way it works is by vibrating the bone in the mandible (bone behind your ear) to receive, or to hear and in turn picks up the vibration to transmit, or to speak. It's what is called a bone vibrator. In some cases it gives def people hearing.