JBL experiments with wireless solar headphones
The JBL Reflect Eternal. Image: Courtesy of JBL via AFP Relaxnews
American manufacturer JBL has chosen the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform to solicit support from internet users for an ambitious project for a wireless headset that recharges itself using solar energy. JBL will use the feedback from initial users to decide whether or not to develop this technology in the future.
The manufacturer’s idea is to equip the headphones with a solar panel, so that they automatically recharge when exposed to natural or indoor light and do not require connection to a power source.
Christened “Reflect Eternal,” this device is designed to recharge itself without any outside help. The manufacturer estimates that an hour and a half outside in the sun will provide the headphones with enough energy for 68 hours of playing time, and, given that the charging system works while the headphones are in use, the Reflect Eternal’s battery life is effectively unlimited in lighted conditions.
Until Jan. 14, 2020, the headphones are being offered at special prices that start at $99 (around P5,000), for the fastest buyers, instead of $165 (about P8,300), which is what they will cost if a commercial model goes into production. However, the first deliveries are not expected before October 2020. In any case, the project has already significantly exceeded its initial target of 500 orders.
It should be noted that this is not the first time that an established brand has resorted to a scheme of this type. Canon recently launched a project for a compact wireless camera on a crowdfunding platform, so too did Sony for a pocket-size air-conditioning heating system. RGA
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