Khaberni - Two former employees at "Meta", a startup called "Soundbar", have unveiled a smart ring named Stream, described as a voice mouse that allows the user to record voice notes, interact with the smart assistant, and control music in an innovative way.
The new ring comes at a time when there is growing interest in devices that rely on voice commands such as medallions and smart bracelets, as companies seek to provide a natural way to interact with artificial intelligence without the need for a phone.
Mina Fahmi, CEO of Soundbar who previously worked at "Kernel" and "Magic Leap", says the idea for the ring was born from his need to record his thoughts while walking or moving without using his phone.
"We were trying to invent a way to capture the idea as soon as it emerged without interrupting the moment," he added in his talk with "Tech Crunch".
The ring is equipped with microphones and a touch panel that activates recording when pressed, and automatically shuts off the microphones after finishing to preserve privacy.
The accompanying app on iPhone devices can convert speech to texts with high accuracy and even interact with the user via a smart assistant capable of summarizing ideas and organizing them into notes.
The ring also allows control over music playback through its flat surface, such as pausing or switching songs, making it practical during movement or exercise.
The silver version of the ring is priced at $249, and the gold version at $299, with expected shipping in the summer of 2026, while the company offers a professional subscription for $10 per month that provides users with additional features like unlimited logs and early access to new features.
Fahmi confirmed that "Soundbar" gives users full control over their data with full encryption and support for exporting notes to applications like Notion.
The company raised funding worth $13 million from investment funds like "True Ventures", "Upfront Ventures", and "Betaworks".
Analysts believe that "Soundbar" is entering a crowded market of AI-powered voice devices, but it bets on the ring's design as a practical and simple solution for recording ideas and interacting with the smart assistant without restrictions.
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