'Split', a music player that you can control with your teeth

Washington: Researchers are developing a wireless music player that fits the ear like earbuds and can be controlled by biting. The music player ‘Split’ eliminates cumbersome headphone cords and the need for a pocket to keep the music player. Two years under development by a start-up named Greenwing Audio in Miami Beach, Florida, Split consists of a pair of earbuds with little oblongs sticking out of them. Inside a one-inch stainless steel casing is a small circuit board, a button cell battery, a memory chip, a processor and a few other components necessary to play quality digital audio. The Split earbuds are synchronised to act like one music player, according to Engadget. [caption id=“attachment_1161605” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Screengrab of the Split music player from Kickstarter video.[/caption] Unlike a Bluetooth headset, Split uses high-precision crystal clocks and a short, near-field radio signal to sync the earbuds when activating, or when the track or volume are changed, Gizmag.com reported. With no buttons or microphone for voice command, Split uses its accelerometers for control. These are designed to respond when the user bites. One bite, even a soft ‘bite click’, changes tracks, and two bites changes the volume, cycling through low, medium, high and muted volume settings. The volume control can also be used to place the player on standby. Tapping the right earbud deactivates the control. Split’s makers have just launched a Kickstarter campaign aimed at bringing the current design to production standard and to enable mass production of the device. PTI