**Sandbar's Stream Ring: An Innovative AI Note-Taking Wearable Focused on Simplicity and Privacy**
While the tech industry has seen a surge in artificial intelligence (AI) assistants capable of handling a wide range of tasks—from answering questions and offering directions to making reservations—one startup is intentionally taking a more focused approach. Sandbar, a company with roots in neural interface technology, has introduced its first product: the Stream Ring. Unlike all-purpose AI assistants, the Stream Ring is designed solely for capturing and organizing your thoughts through voice, streamlining the process of note-taking, brainstorming, and ideation.
**A New Kind of AI Experience**
The Stream Ring is a wearable device that fits around your index finger and acts as a discreet, voice-activated note-taker. According to Sandbar, the device excels at capturing a variety of spoken input, from quick, offhand remarks and whispered thoughts to more extended, stream-of-consciousness dictation. This versatility makes it ideal for users who want to record ideas or work through problems out loud, without having to reach for their phone or speak into a traditional voice assistant.
Mina Fahmi, CEO and co-founder of Sandbar, described the motivation behind the product in a press release: "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." This philosophy marks a departure from other AI devices that often emulate a conversational partner, instead empowering users to interact with their own thoughts in a more natural and private way.
**Origins and Development**
Fahmi and Sandbar’s co-founder Kirak Hong previously collaborated at CTRL-Labs, a company known for its pioneering work in neural interfaces—devices that translate brain activity into digital commands. Drawing on this expertise, they set out to create technology that would help people expand their ability to think and express themselves, with a strong emphasis on privacy and security. From the outset, the Stream Ring was developed with encryption and user control at its core, addressing one of the most common concerns about AI-powered wearables: the protection of sensitive, personal information.
**How the Stream Ring Works**
The hardware itself is sleek and minimalist. The ring is worn on the index finger, and to activate it, users simply bring the ring close to their mouth and press a touchpad. A gentle vibration lets the user know that the device is listening, and crucially, it only listens when activated by touch—helping allay privacy concerns. Once recording is initiated, the Stream Ring captures the user’s speech and converts it into notes, which can be accessed, reviewed, and edited in an accompanying mobile app.
A unique feature of Sandbar's system is the "Inner Voice," a personalized voice that reads back notes and interacts with the user. During setup, users can create