SEATTLE, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of a $5M raise announcement, Human Inc. today unveiled a preview of a technology it is simply calling -- the Sound program.
"Human is creating a new era of technology, and our first program focuses on what we believe is the most emotive of the human senses," said Ben Willis, Co-Founder, CEO. "The Sound program will fundamentally transform the way the world experiences both audio and interpersonal communication."
Although not yet sharing a market availability date, Human announced a sampling of the planned features for the program, and emphasized the opportunity this product has to create an entirely new category within the market. Human will be disclosing the full suite of product features throughout the remainder of 2016, but core announced functions include:
-- A "total-encapsulation" design securely attached to the ear and void of
all cables, wires, and headbands.
-- A truly wireless audio experience that includes instantaneous wireless
connection and consistent sync between both ears.
-- The ability for listeners to increase and decrease the volume of their
external surroundings.
-- The ability for multiple audio listeners to wirelessly connect to one
device simultaneously.
-- Portable loud speaker capabilities surpassing the volume and audio
quality of most smartphones.
Future product announcements will center around face to face human interaction. One feature, to be disclosed this summer, will aim to break language barriers.
"The industry's traditional players are lacking in design, imagination and long term vision, which are the key elements that ultimately translate into real innovation," said Willis. "Human is building a product that starts with a naturally inspired design. Pairing that design with multiple market-bending features equates to a remarkable technology that will create an entirely new category of audio."
The device's unveil comes on the heels of Human's $5M raise announcement, which was led by early Amazon investor, Kurt Beecher Dammeier, and early Apple investor, Fred Warren. Additional lead investors include Daniel Darling, of San Francisco based VC firm -- Darling Ventures.
Since its inception in late 2014, Human has quietly been developing technology and assembling a team of experienced designers and engineers in a 10,000 square-foot-lab at the historic Old Rainier Brewery in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. To date, Human has attracted industry-leading professionals including Bill Moore, former RootMetrics and AllRecipes.com CEO, who joined the company as Executive Chairman and President. There are numerous other team members who left both the wearables department and Xbox division of Microsoft.
"We're tackling form and utility issues that have not been advanced by the big players in the audio industry," said Stephen Minarsch, Human Principal Industrial Designer and former Microsoft Wearables Department Designer. "I'm proud to be part of a team and work on a program that will have such a major market legacy."
There have been no formal announcements of when the product will be launched. "This is the first look," said Joe Dieter, co-founder and CMO of Human, Inc. "We'll be sharing additional technology features on a monthly basis throughout the reminder of 2016."
About Human, Inc.
Human, Inc. is a Seattle-based technology company whose products seek to bridge the gap between people and technology. Human was founded in 2014 by Benjamin Willis and Joe Dieter who believe the future of technology is only reserved for the most purposeful, natural, and utility-driven products. For more information about Human, please visit http://www.whoishuman.io/ or follow us on Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/human_sound) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/humaninc.sound).