Unlike VR headsets that are worn on the head and cover the user’s eyes, Muttalk is worn on the head and in the user’s mouth. Inside Muttalk is a microphone and Bluetooth hardware that picks up the user’s voice and wirelessly transmits it to other devices such as smartphones and game consoles. What sets it apart from other wireless microphones is that Muttalk captures and includes all, or at least most, sounds coming out of the user’s mouth.
Active noise canceling headphones are a great way to block out unwanted noise, but what if you want to mute the unwanted noise at the source instead. Let’s say you’re making a difficult phone call, or you’re bombarded with swear words during a game. There are devices for that, but they don’t seem as comfortable to wear as headphones. Depending on how you spend your free time, Mutalk, by a company called Shiftall (part of Panasonic), can look like a miniature virtual reality headset or a sadomasochistic accessory, but neither.
Highlights
Despite debuting earlier this year along with several other accessories to enhance the VR experience, Mutalk is not yet officially available, but it will retail for around $140 when it finally becomes available expected.
High frequency sound (voice) intensity about 30 decibels. There’s no denying it looks silly, but if you want to have a private phone conversation with someone but can’t find a private place to do it, Muttalk can be useful. automatically detects and starts transmitting over Bluetooth, keeping conversations quiet even when hundreds of confused eyes are staring at you.