You can have your music, and your situational awareness too.
Headphones and earphones are great for delivering your personal music, but they do cover over or plug up your ears -- which means you lose connection with what's happening around you. This can be a problem if you're jogging on the streets or trying to keep track of the kids around the house.
The alternative is to use bone conduction technology to listen without obstructing your ears, with headphones that rest on your cheekbones and transmit sound through vibrations directly to your inner ear.
Google used this approach in the Google Glass headwear and it's also available in wireless headphones like the AFTERSHOKZ Bluez 2.
The Bluez 2 headphones tuck over your ears, with the vibrating pads resting on your cheekbones in front of the ear. The band rests low behind your head, with an adjustable strap for a comfortable and secure fit.
They're relatively light at 1.45 oz (41g), and designed to be durable, withstanding sweat and moisture with a nanotechnology coating and watertight rubber gaskets.
The Bluez 2 use Bluetooth wireless to deliver music with no cables. They also have a mic for making phone calls. Actually, they have dual noise canceling microphones to reduce the surrounding noise and enhancing your speech.
The frame also includes a volume control and a multifunction button to play and pause music, skip songs, and take and end phone calls. The headphones also provide voice prompts to guide you through power, pair, play and talk.
The battery provides 6 hours playtime and can last 30 days in standby. It charges in 2 hours, and you can get a good boost in as little as 15 minutes.
These are really useful for still being aware while you enjoy music. Besides walking, running, or riding on busy streets, they also are great when you're working around the house while keeping track of the kids.
The Bluez 2 headphones also are being used with the exciting BlindSquare app for iPhone and iPad to communicate without blocking the ears. BlindSquare is an accessible GPS-app developed for the blind and visually impaired. It describes the environment as you travel, announcing points of interest and street intersections. With free, third-party navigation apps it provides information to help blind and visually impaired people travel independently.
The Bluez 2 headphones are available for around $99 in black, green, or red. AFTERSHOKZ also offers wired sport bone conduction headphones for $39, or $49 with mic and controls.
Find the AFTERSHOKZ Bluez 2 Headphones on Amazon.com