Some companies believe the future of controlling smartphones and tablets depends on gestures. Many projects have tried this, but few have managed to offer something enjoyable for the user. The new BearTek Bluetooth glove is “inspired” by gestures, but what it actually delivers is a total of six buttons to control all kinds of apps on your smartphone, as well as the main functions of a GoPro camera.
Since mobile devices abandoned buttons for touchscreens, we have embraced all their benefits and struggled with their limits. Over the past few years, different concepts have tried to “decentralize” command input on smartphones and tablets, including voice recognition, gesture recognition, and smartwatches. However, the people at BearTek plan to bring a true classic to the market: gloves. Don’t fall into the trap of imagining something like the Power Glove—but sportspeople, especially motorcyclists, might find the format appealing.
What can the BearTek glove do?
The BearTek glove connects via Bluetooth and has six contact points that can be customized according to the apps or functions available. For example, it offers multimedia support for basic actions like skipping to the next song or changing the volume, and it also serves as a remote control for GoPro cameras, whether to start a recording or pause it.
Unfortunately, the exact technical specifications of the BearTek gloves have not been published, but this is the second generation of the product, and considering that generation 1 delivered 80 hours of operation with its batteries, the new version will be above that.
The BearTek gloves have appeared several times on television (Gadget Man on the BBC and Shark Tank are the main cases) and now they are seeking financial help on Indiegogo for their next generation. To be honest, they have already received it, because with 23 days left they have widely surpassed their original goal of $40,000. The product will be available in several designs (though only the most popular ones will be produced, as far as we can see), and its current price is 155 dollars plus shipping. First deliveries are in November.
