Hasta La Gadget!

Back when I had time to go to the gym one of the things that seemed to happen all the time was that I would end up getting the cord to my headphones caught on some of the equipment and jerk my iPhone right out of my pocket. I always expected to pick it up with a shattered screen, but luckily that never happened. I bet I’m not the only one that has a problem with their media player falling out of the pocket when they are being active.

A new project has turned up on Kickstarter for an media player that promises to be perfect for the active user.

With the ITreq, there are no long cables to get in your way or to become tangled up on something. The entire player hangs off the back of your ear using a medical grade silicone ear hook. The enclosure itself is certified IP53 water resistant so it should handle sweat and the occasional downpour just fine.

The player has an attached earbud that sticks into your ear canal and a 3.5 mm port allowing you to run another earbud around to your other ear for stereo sound. Music is stored on MicroSD cards so you can upgrade the player to as much as 32GB of storage. It’s compatible with audio files in MP3. WMA, secure WMA V7, FLAC and Ogg Vorbis formats. Battery life is estimated at eight hours per charge.

Assuming the project hits its funding goal, a pledge of $59(USD) or more will get you your own ITreq when it ships this September.

There are a lot of products out there that work just fine if you use them in certain situations, but they don’t necessarily work that well in other situations. This is particularly true of devices like MP3 players. When you’re sitting or just walking around shopping or working, the MP3 player may stay put without any issues at all. However, if you’re an active user who likes to exercise, bike, or run I’d wager you’ve had your MP3 player fall out of your pocket at least a few times while exercising.

A company called VOX One Labs has a new MP3 project on Kickstarter seeking the funding to come to market. The company has designed this MP3 player specifically for active users so it stays in place and usable no matter how strenuously you exercise. The MP3 player is called the ITreq and it’s designed to be compact and very lightweight.

The MP3 player rather reminds me of headsets worn by law enforcement officers or the military in that the MP3 player hangs behind the ear with an ear piece that plugs into the ear canal. The ITreq does have an extra 3.5 mm port allowing it to be worn as a stereo headset if desired. The device will come in white, black, or red and will support 4 GB microSD cards. The device will play any MP3 file that you put onto the little memory card.

Users will be able to carry multiple memory cards with them to have access to as many audio tracks if you want. Another nice feature of the audio player is that it has a high impact ABS shell along with medical grade silicone rubber ear hooks. That means it shouldn’t feel heavy behind the ear and can survive sweat and the elements.

The devices IP53 water resistant, but not waterproof. That means you can’t swim with it, but sweat or the occasional sprinkle of rain won’t destroy the player. The project is seeking $56,750, which is a strange amount. So far, the project has raised $6225 with 26 days to go. You will need to pledge at least $59 or more to get one of the ITreq MP3 players for yourself. The more money pledge up to $99, the more 4 GB memory card you receive with your purchase.

SOURCE: Kickstarter

ITreq MP3 player for active users hits Kickstarter is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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