Did you believe that story about the Apple biometric EarPods which can measure your blood pressure and heart rate? It was just a figment of some random Tumnlr account holder’s wild imagination. But there’s much more to add to the news even though it turned out to be a hoax.
MacRumors has two different posts which indicate that a pair of Apple biometric EarPods may actually come into being in the near future. The tech giant is said to be bringing in MIT researcher Eric Winokur for its wearable team of engineers. Winokur apparently has experience working on a vital signs monitor which can be worn on the ears.
The MIT researcher is reported to list ‘wearable medical device R&D’ as one of his specialties on his personal LinkedIn profile. He has published two scientific papers on ear-worn gadgets for measuring heart and pulse rates as well as cardiovascular monitoring. Taking into account the timing of Winokur’s hiring, the fabled Apple EarPods may not arrive this year.
Another post on MacRumors throws light on Apple patents that were filed years ago which talked about sensors embedded in accessories or gadgets like the iPhone and iPod for gathering physiological data. One patent even specifies a sort of device to be worn on the head or ears for keeping tabs on user activity. It also mentions collecting of biometric data like perspiration, temperature and heart rate.
We will just have to wait in hope that more leaks on biometric headphones from Cupertino break cover soon. Meanwhile, if you actually came here because you wanted to know whether the Apple EarPods you bought for cheap online is the genuine thing or a fake pair, the YouTube video we’ve posted above may be of help.