Taking wearable tech to a whole new level: Humane, a startup founded by two ex-Apple employees hoping to design “ Good Ai ”, launched their anticipated AI Pin (watch, runtime: 10:34) last Thursday night.

It’s not a companion device: The AI Pin — worn like a brooch — is a standalone piece of technology that comes as the natural successor to the smartphone. It knows what tools to access to best address your queries, meaning that you have the internet on speed dial.

The pin’s primary job is to get rid of bad UX — all bad UX. Apps? Gone. Your homescreen? Gone. Your screen? Gone.

Founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno believe in technology that improves the human experience. They describe their innovation as one “born from good intentions,” aiming to reshape the role of technology in our lives as less invasive and more human-centered, a la Mark Weiser.

Move aside, Siri: Hello Cosmos: The AI Pin’s operating system can help you draft and send messages, give you the highlights from your busy inbox, and take pictures and videos through the pin’s camera, all using vocal instructions and simple touches and taps. It can also act as a foreign language interpreter, and even help you track your macros.

Previous reports that it runs on ChatGPT are inaccurate — the chatbot is just one of the device’s resources.

What about my data? Humane claims to be a privacy-first company. The device does not employ “wake words,” and only activates using physical user engagement, addressing concerns that it may be listening all the time, as is the case with other devices.

The pin’s Trust Light indicates whenever any of the device’s sensors are active, keeping you and those around you feeling safe. “Transparency as a value isn’t radical,” says the company site. If tampered with, the pin will shut down immediately, only resuming operation after direct professional service from Humane.

Yes, the future is finally here — and it only costs USD 699. The “complete system,” which includes the device, two battery boosters, a charge pad, a charge case, and a cable and adapter, comes at the price of USD 699. Too good to be true? It is.

You also need to be subscribed to Humane, which should set you back an additional USD 24 per month. This comes with a dedicated cell phone number for your pin, unlimited minutes, messages, and data, cloud storage, and full access to the company’s growing suite of AI-powered tools.

Sold? The pin is available to order starting 16 November, and will begin shipping out early 2024.

Does the wellness industry deliver? With USD 5.6 tn in value, the wellness machine that is thrusting yoga, meditation, herbal remedies, and powerfoods in our faces and on our feeds daily seems to be falling short on its promise, The Guardian writes, citing researchers and journalists.

Whether it be through social media, magazines, TV shows and movies, we are constantly being bombarded with messaging pushing “wellness language” that focuses on themes such as how to “be fit and happy,” “hacks” for wellness, and “choosing” to be happy, Colleen Derkatch, a professor of Rhetoric at Toronto Metropolitan University, tells The Guardian.

… making it a bit much for one’s mental health. The constant self-monitoring, apps, and advice feels overwhelming and diminishes our quality of life, and health, instead of enhancing it.

FACTS- Lack of access to education, pollution, safety, and a supportive community are the main determinants for a lack of unwellness and poor health. Not as much of a determinant: Whether you meditate in the morning or have herbal tea, according to a study cited in The Guardian. These facts aren’t typically embedded in the wellness industry.

Wellness can often be used to camouflage larger issues. Rather than address real problems, such as a partner that does not help at home, or a job that expects around-the-clock availability, the wellness industry suggests that you can overcome the stress related to the problem through yoga, exercise, or a non-inflammatory diet, says Rina Raphael, journalist and author of The Gospel of Wellness.

While wellness is important for many, health outcomes do not fulfill industry promises,especially with Americans who have a lower life expectancy and higher rates of mental illness globally making them “ the most stressed in the world.”

So, can wellness be achieved? Yes, but “through having conditions where we can flourish,” says Derkatch. She adds that these include features like proper medical care, fair working conditions, and access to nutritious food.

…also, a rethink about what one, individually, feels wellness is, not what is dictated on a bottle, advertisement, or a TikTok video.

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