And you thought the Jawbone Headset was stylish

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In a never-ending quest for wearable technology (remember that Bluetooth dress?), I recently came across the Ripple, Ilya Fridman’s fashion-conscious Bluetooth headset that looks more like simple “statement earrings.” Turned off by large, unattractive ear hooks, Fridman modeled his device, still in the prototype phase, after dome-shaped clip-on earrings and hooked it up with a hidden microphone. (If a passerby didn’t know better, it might look like the Ripple wearer were talking to herself!)

“The inspiration behind the visual language of the Ripple -- and further, its name -- stemmed from the idea of portraying sound waves as something graceful and elegant, like ripples in a still body of water, rather than chaotic noise bombarding your day,” said Fridman, an Australia-based industrial designer whose resume includes designing Chevrolet concept vehicles for GM Holden. No surprise, Fridman has been contacted by mobile phone retailers wanting to sell the Ripple. But for now, he’s working on perfecting the prototype to address ergonomic and engineering aspects.

--Alexandra Le Tellier

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