Human Inc's Headphones Completely Encapsulate Your Ears

Seattle startup Human Inc is working on a program called "Sound," and it involves a pair of headphones that completely encapsulate the wearer's ears, blocking out the external world while providing one's self with a personal surround sound system. These won't be just any old pair of futuristic-looking headphones, though — the startup plans to have them function as language translators and portable speakers, as well.

The Sound program headphones don't yet have a product name, but Human Inc. has been working on them for a while, and says they'll give the wearer manual control over the level of noise cancellation. As well, the headphones (perhaps earphones is the better word) will connect to a device wirelessly, and will be able to connect to a device that other Sound program headphones' users are also listening to.

If the situation calls for it, the wearer can in some way use the headphones as small portable speakers, with Human Inc aiming for audio quality above what you get from a smartphone. Expanding beyond the music capabilities, Human Inc is envisioning a pair of earphones that also facilitate language translation. Details on this are forthcoming, though.

Finally, the wearer will be able — the company hopes — to control the audio using touch controls. Again, though, details on how exactly the earphones will offer these features haven't been given, nor has pricing or when we can expect to see the product launch.