Copyright zdnet
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Sandbar's Stream Ring is a wearable note-taker. It works like a microphone around your finger.Stream Ring is now available to preorder. While most AI assistants try to do everything -- from navigating directions and answering random queries to finding and reserving an acceptable dinner spot -- this startup's product takes a simpler, more straightforward approach. Also: Why the AI wearable market is set to grow by 10x - and it's not just new gadgets Sandbar's first product, the Stream Ring, is an AI note-taker that can capture even quick or quiet conversations as well as stream-of-consciousness narration, like when a user dictates to it offhand, according to the company. "Thoughts bubble up constantly, especially when we're on the go. I wanted to capture thoughts or talk through ideas, without pulling out a phone or speaking into the void. Importantly, I wanted that experience to feel like inner dialogue, not a conversation with a virtual companion," Mina Fahmi, CEO and co-founder of Sandbar, said in a press release shared with ZDNET. Fahmi and Kirak Hong first worked together at CTRL-Labs, where they worked on neural interfaces. Now, with a product of their own, they're aiming to develop technology that expands a user's ability to think and express thoughts for themselves, with privacy and encryption baked in. Also: This AI note taker is the size of a credit card and can record for days The Stream Ring fits around the index finger and engages with the speaker at a conversational pace. When users set up their ring on the app, they also set their Inner Voice, the personalized voice that speaks back to them. Inner Voice is tailored to each user's specific voice, but users can also choose a different-sounding one if the idea of their own voice talking back to them is too uncanny. Once set up, users initiate the ring by bringing it to their mouth and pushing the touchpad to interact. The Stream Ring vibrates to signal it is listening (it only listens upon touchpad initiation). The ring then takes notes, which users can access and edit within the accompanying app. Sandbar said on its website that the ring can capture ideas in a variety of sound environments, whether it's recording a whisper in a quiet room or on the go. It does not need a mobile connection to work or capture audio. How to try it Two models, Stream Silver for $249 and Stream Gold for $299, are now available for preorder. The ring begins shipping in summer 2026. Also: You can chat with Google Maps now, thanks to this big AI upgrade - how it works Sandbar offers a $10 Stream Pro monthly subscription for unlimited notes, chats, and early features. The ring comes with three months free and has all-day battery life.
