Thesis: Given video and audio, sound is the most important bearer of information, by far. A survey (never done) concludes that 98% of the informational podcasts you listen to (conference speeches, interviews, discussions, lectures) can be almost entirely communicated with sound only, with video as a very nice bonus when you need/want it and (imperative) when you have the time to sit down and view it. (Visually demolish a beautiful movie but keep its stellar audio and you’ll be annoyed. Keep the beautiful imagery but make the audio sound like it’s recorded through a straw and you'll go berserk.)
Problem: I'll often start listening to podcasts, video podcasts, videos or movies on my computer, but then need to walk away to do X in the middle (X could be bathroom, getting a drink, walking outside). I often walk as far off as to only hear a muddled sound or none at all, which cuts me off from the conversation, having to rewind, wasting time. (I can’t remember that last time I watched a video podcast on my iPhone while on the go. The attention just isn’t there.)
Proposition: I think I could be much more productive and waste far less time listening and learning if I could have an earpiece that always routes sound from the device I want to hear at that moment (iPhone and MacBook Pro most often), and that can switch devices instantly and effortlessly. It needs to be unobtrusive and effortless, have a great physical design and interaction design, and use very little power; so goodbye all Bluetooth headsets I’ve seen.
Effortless context switching is the key.
