Multimodal Dial Allows Consumers to Access Content and Control Apps without Looking at or Touching a Screen; Available for Pre-Order Today
Fingertips Lab today announced pre-order availability of its personal mobile interface O6. An all-access controller for the mobile lifestyle, O6 connects seamlessly via Bluetooth to any iPhone, allowing users to browse, operate and toggle between virtually every app and platform at the touch of a finger and completely eyes-free.
An all-metal rotary bezel dial featuring textured touchpad buttons and motion-sensors, O6 represents an entirely new paradigm of device input and control, combining both hardware and software to power a far more accurate and responsive experience than voice command-based programs. O6 lets users access content and control apps solely through touch and gestures to remotely open, browse and listen, and respond to text and email messages, news, social posts, music and more in real-time.
By combining the O6 device with its dashboard app, users can experience life in stereo mode. The O6 app displays a lineup of apps on a user’s iPhone including email, podcasts and Twitter as ‘channels’ and all corresponding content as ‘tracks,’ dynamically updating all in real time. And if the content includes hyperlinks, the O6 app will automatically fetch and extract the content to audio or convert it to speech for a seamless experience.
“We conceived and built O6 from the ground up by reimagining the design and interaction of all mobile applications for a completely eyes-free experience,” said P.K. Mishra, CEO, Fingertips Lab. “O6 allows people to stay connected and engaged with their devices while being present and alert to the environment around them.”
Designed to function intuitively, O6 allows for complete non-visual and even one-handed control. Utilizing patent-pending mechanical architecture, the O6 lets users operate the novel rotary-command dial utilizing tactile ridges and embedded buttons without the need to orient the device. O6 also includes the use of different voices, audio cues, intonations and sounds to convey structure through audio in ways previously not possible. Utilizing artificial intelligence, the dashboard app analyzes content to automatically recommend relevant, contextual actions.
“O6 ushers in a new era of device control that’s beneficial for anyone who uses a smartphone on a daily basis,” said Mishra. “After examining the risks associated with distracted driving and careless commuting as well as the accessibility challenges of the visually impaired, we knew there had to be a better way to interact with smartphones by breaking the dependence on visual cues and interactions.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that at any given daylight moment, 660,000 drivers handle smartphones and manipulate electronic devices. The National Safety Council reported that motor-vehicle deaths increased to 18,600 in the first six months of 2015, up 14 percent over 2014, with the uptick being partially attributed to driver distraction due to smartphones. O6 enables users to stay connected as easily and safely as listening to radio by keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
The O6 product line includes a selection of easily interchangeable accessories that allow it to be mounted on a steering wheel, worn on the wrist or clipped to a pocket or belt. It facilitates single-handed – or even single-fingered – operation so it can be used while mounted in an accessory, lying on a flat surface or simply grasped in the hand.
Pricing and Availability
O6 is now available for pre-order at an early bird price of $99. The O6 will ship in February 2017, with a suggested retail price of $149. Accessories are sold separately.
About Fingertips Lab
Founded in 2014 with the mission to make technology more usable to more people, in more settings, Fingertips Lab launched its flagship product line O6 to transform the way people interact with smartphones while staying present and engaged in life. Fingertips Lab is based in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.O6app.com.