Ray-Bans are nice, but the Buhel SG05 SOUNDglasses from Atellani offer so much more than UV-ray protection. Pledging $125 on Kickstarter for these unique specs can give your hands and ears freedom from phones and earbuds.
The SG05 is not your ordinary pair of sunglasses. This baby is packed with bone-conduction technology; Bluetooth connectivity; a bridge-integrated, bidirectional noise-canceling microphone; and anti-scratch interchangeable lenses. The glasses come standard with what the company calls "smoke grey flash mirror lenses." All lenses for the SG05 are PC 2.0 CAT 3 anti-scratch lenses, providing high-grade shock protection.
There are two Buhelvibe (bone conduction) speakers — one on each temple — that produce sound via bone vibration. Here's how it works: Electric signals are converted into vibrations that flow from the bone to the ossicles in the ear, which activates the semicircular canals. The canals stimulate the cochlea, and then the cochlea feeds information to the auditory nerve — all without blocking out environmental sounds. This process also works for receiving and making phone calls.
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The rest of the good stuff resides on the bottom of the left temple. This is where the multifunction button (on/off, Siri/Cortana activation), the volume cycle button, the status indicator light and the micro USB port are housed.
Atellani paid attention to the needs of the commuter, and made sure that you never need to pull out your phone while wearing the SG05. The ergonomic design is aimed at providing a comfortable fit for everyone, and compatibility with iOS, Android and Windows ensures that most smartphone owners can use the water-resistant specs.
The SG05 promises a 2-hour charge time, 3 hours of usage time and 300 hours (12.5 days) of standby time. If you use the included earpiece, you can extend the normal battery life to 5 hours. You would think that a device of this magnitude would be a little hefty, but the Buhel SG05 weighs a measly 1.52 ounces and measures a compact 5.7 x 1.8 x 6.7 inches.
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The SG05 comes in black, red, cyan, green, and "sandstorm," and its lenses come in iridescent red/gold, clear, smoke gray and polarized (Kickstarter only). On top of that, Kickstarter backers can get the prescription lens accessory (final model only) — which allows you to mount your own prescription lenses with the help of a certified optician/ophthalmologist — for free. The company also offers ANSI Z87.1 certified lenses for heavy-duty use.
Atellani's Kickstarter campaign runs until March 13. Prices range from $1 to $695; a minimum of $125 gets you the basic SG05 package. The campaign has raised more than $230,000 from 1,300-plus backers, beating the original goal of $80,000, and it has about a month to go. Demand is currently high, so if you want to look stylish, be free and have eyewear that suits any occasion, you should act fast.
