Ex-Meta Team Launches Sandbar: A Smart Ring for Voice Notes & Music
▼ Summary
– Sandbar has launched Stream, a voice-controlled ring designed for note-taking, AI assistant interaction, and music control, created by former Meta employees.
– The ring is worn on the index finger and captures thoughts via a touchpad-activated microphone that transcribes whispers into a companion app.
– Stream includes an AI chatbot for conversation and note organization, with haptic feedback and media controls for discreet use in various settings.
– Preorders are available starting at $249, with a Pro subscription offering unlimited features and full user data control through encryption and export options.
– Sandbar has raised $13 million in funding and faces competition in the AI hardware space, aiming to prove the ring’s unique convenience over other form factors.
A new wave of voice-first gadgets is reshaping how we interact with technology, offering fresh ways to capture ideas, manage tasks, and enjoy media. Sandbar, a startup founded by former Meta interface designers, has entered this competitive field with a unique offering: a smart ring named Stream. Dubbed “a mouse for voice,” the device enables users to record notes, communicate with an AI assistant, and control music playback directly from their finger.
The market already includes voice-enabled products like Plaud and Pocket’s card-style recorders, pendants from Friend, Limitless, and Taya, and the Bee wristband, now owned by Amazon. Sandbar’s Stream ring stands out by focusing on discreet, immediate interaction. CEO Mina Fahmi, who previously designed interfaces at Kernel and Magic Leap, teamed up with CTO Kirak Hong, a former Google and CTRL-Labs engineer. The pair met at CTRL-Labs before its acquisition by Meta, where their work contributed to neural interface technology for wearable devices.
Fahmi’s inspiration for Stream came from personal frustration. After experimenting with a journaling app powered by large language models, he found that pulling out a phone disrupted his creative flow. “Ideas often surface during walks or commutes,” he explained. “I didn’t want to interrupt the moment by using my phone or speaking aloud where others could hear. With Kirak, we asked how we could capture thoughts the instant they arise, and that’s how Stream was born.”
Designed to be worn on the index finger of the dominant hand, the ring includes built-in microphones and a touch-sensitive surface. During a virtual demonstration, Fahmi showed how pressing and holding the touchpad activates the microphone, which remains off by default to protect privacy. The microphone is sensitive enough to pick up whispered speech and transcribe it accurately through a companion iOS application. Similar quiet-input capabilities are offered by apps like Wispr Flow and Willow, but Stream integrates them into a wearable form.
The accompanying app features an AI chatbot that interacts conversationally as users record their thoughts. Notes can be organized, edited by the user or the AI, and reviewed over time using a pinch-to-zoom timeline view. Sandbar has incorporated a personalization feature so the assistant’s voice resembles the user’s own. In noisy environments, headphones allow private conversation with the assistant, while haptic feedback confirms when a note is successfully recorded, enabling silent list-making or task management.
Beyond voice functions, Stream’s flat surface serves as a media remote, letting users play, pause, skip tracks, and adjust volume. While many headphones include similar controls, the ring offers an advantage when hands are busy or during travel.
Preorders for Stream opened recently, with the silver model priced at $249 and the gold version at $299. Shipments are scheduled to begin next summer. A Pro subscription, free for three months with preorder and then $10 monthly, provides unlimited chats, notes, and early feature access. Fahmi emphasized that all user data is encrypted and fully controllable, with plans to support exports to platforms like Notion.
Sandbar has secured $13 million in funding from investors including True Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and Betaworks. Toni Schneider of True Ventures noted his initial skepticism toward AI hardware, saying many earlier demos fell short. “Voice and AI are a natural fit, but phones and laptops can feel excessive for voice-only tasks. We evaluated many new form factors, and Stream was the first that truly made sense,” he remarked.
The voice-AI hardware sector is crowded, with several companies exploring rings as a potential form factor. Fahmi stressed that Stream is not meant to be a companion or assistant, but an interface that helps people articulate ideas while keeping them in charge. As AI hardware struggles to gain mainstream traction, with Humane selling to HP, Rabbit refining its software, and Friend capitalizing on user feedback, Sandbar must demonstrate that its ring delivers unique convenience over pendants, pins, or wristbands.
(Source: TechCrunch)
