Science & Technology

Why Stream ring-maker Sandbar says the future of AI wearables is voice | Equity Podcast

AI notetaking hardware has taken off over the past couple of years, with credit-card-sized devices, pendants, pins, and even transcribing earbuds all promising to capture your meetings and turn them into summaries and action items. Now, a whole wave of wearables — rings especially — are betting people want to capture stray thoughts and ideas…

Published

2 months ago

August 12, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

One of the companies chasing that bet is Sandbar, the startup behind the private voice ring Stream, which has raised $36 million to date, including a $23 million Series A led by Adjacent and Kindred Ventures.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan talks with Sandbar co-founder and CEO Mina Fahmi about why he thinks so many voice hardware devices before Stream struggled to break through, and why he’s betting that keeping the human firmly in control is what it’ll take to get wearable tech right.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

1:24 From MIT neural interfaces to founding Sandbar

5:15 Live demo: capturing a note with Stream

9:19 Whisper mode and cross-device dictation

11:58 What makes hardware finally click for users

16:26 Learning from Humane, Rabbit, and Friend’s stumbles

19:09 The case against “always on”

21:20 Zuckerberg’s superintelligence letter, and where wearables fit

24:13 The funding: $36M raised to date

26:34 Why Sandbar chose the fully custom hardware path

28:36 Outro

Up Next

Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni Reportedly Knew About Phia’s Cookie Stuffing For Months

Don't Miss

Side by Side: Pixel 10 Pro vs. Pixel 11 Pro

Click to comment

Science & Technology

Do you trust Meta with your digital life?

Meta’s AI agent Muse stole the spotlight this week, but would you trust Meta with your entire digital life? The Equity crew looks at the company’s consumer AI ambitions and why some users (like Sean) might prefer to hand that information to another provider Listen to the full episode:

Published

21 hours ago

September 25, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Meta’s AI agent Muse stole the spotlight this week, but would you trust Meta with your entire digital life?

The Equity crew looks at the company’s consumer AI ambitions and why some users (like Sean) might prefer to hand that information to another provider

Listen to the full episode:

Science & Technology

AI Hacking is Forcing Humans to Use AI to Combat It

Is the next era of cybersecurity machine vs. machine? Shardul Shah of Index Ventures tells Equity that as AI-powered attacks get faster and cheaper, human-in-the-loop defense won’t be enough. The result could be an entirely new security stack.

Published

1 day ago

September 25, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Is the next era of cybersecurity machine vs. machine?

Shardul Shah of Index Ventures tells Equity that as AI-powered attacks get faster and cheaper, human-in-the-loop defense won’t be enough. The result could be an entirely new security stack.

CNET

My Real-World iPhone 18 Pro Tests | One More Thing

The iPhone 18 Pro is out in the wild, along with the new Apple Watch 12 and AirPods 5. Bridget Carey shares what she learned in using Apple’s new gear in everyday life and tips for using Apple’s new camera features — even if you’re not a pro. Plus: How to submit a claim to…

Published

1 day ago

September 25, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Apple AirPods 5 Wireless Earbuds
Apple Watch Series 12 GPS 46mm Smartwatch
Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch
*CNET may get a commission on these offers

Read more about Apple on CNET.com
You Can Now File a Claim in Apple’s $250 Million AI iPhone Settlement
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets Serious About Recovery, Without the Subscription
The iPhone 18 Is Here, and You Can Grab Yours for Free With These Deals

Timecode Chapters:
0:18 The new iPhone 18 Pro is out in the world now
0:26 Tips for upgrading to Apple iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple AirPods 5
1:14 Reasons to upgrade to iPhone 18 Pro
1:29 The best reason to switch to iPhone 18 Pro
1:44 iPhone 18 Pro battery life
1:49 Fun fact about the iPhone 18 Pro battery
2:16 iPhone 18 Pro camera updates
2:31 3 settings to change on your iPhone 18 Pro Camera app
2:41 Camera tricks with variable aperture on iPhone 18 Pro
3:09 Action shots with iPhone 18 Pro
3:29 Dark environment shutter speed camera tricks
3:55 Get cool long exposure shots with iPhone 18 Pro
4:20 iPhone 18 Pro Photographic Styles
5:00 Should you get an Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4?
5:13 New Apple Watch sensors
5:30 Apple Watch optical heart rate sensor
5:50 Sound recognition on the new Apple Watches
6:00 More Health app data without a subscription fee
6:06 What if AirPods don’t fit your ears?
6:10 Apple Watch readiness score and health age
6:35 Audio Intelligence on Apple Watch
7:01 Live Rewind audio transcription coming to Apple Watch
7:25 What’s new with AirPods 5?
7:39 Battery life and ANC on Apple AirPods 5
8:07 Are AirPods 5 Apple’s product with the best value?
8:13 One more tip
8:19 How to get money in Apple’s AI lawsuit settlement
9:20 Let us know what you think of your new iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 14 or AirPods 5

Video Credits:
Host: Bridget Carey
Scripted by: Bridget Carey
Producer: Carly Marsh
Camera: Carly Marsh, Numi Prasarn, Dillon Lopez, Celso Bulgatti, Bridget Carey
Video Editor: Carly Marsh
Thumbnail Designer: Cole Kan

More about the Apple AI settlement:

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
Like us on Facebook:
CNET’s AI Atlas:
Follow us on X:
Visit CNET.com:

#apple #ipod5 #iphone #Apple Watch Series 12