If you’re someone who often misplaces small items like keys or glasses, you probably know how frustrating it can be. Productivity experts suggest creating a designated spot for your essentials when you get home, ideally near the entrance. But with the rise of wireless earbuds, there’s yet another item to keep track of. Often these earbuds, despite having their own charging case, can still go missing. And sometimes, that very case gets lost too.
The struggle usually starts when you’re trying to take those earbuds out to place them in their charging case—a task that might take longer than expected and often involves a little clumsiness. This smart design aims to give our beloved audio gadgets a cozy home of their own while addressing that all-too-common annoyance of having to stop your music or podcast as soon as you step inside.
Designer: Siyeong Park
Many of us have likely gotten into the habit of jamming out to music or listening to podcasts during our daily commutes. Sometimes, we even keep it going while jogging or doing other exercises. But when we get home? It’s the same routine—we take off our earbuds, rummage through our bags or pockets looking for the case, and then pop them in to charge. This simple routine, though convenient, has one major downside: it interrupts whatever we were listening to.
SOAK is a concept for a wireless speaker designed to tackle two dilemmas at once. First, it provides a reliable spot for your earbuds as soon as you walk in. The vase-like structure has a bowl-shaped section on top where you can drop your earbuds. In theory, it could even charge them without needing the charging case, although that would require different tech for full wireless charging.
What makes it even cooler is that the speaker can keep playing whatever your earbuds are connected to. So, when you take off your earbuds, your music or podcast doesn’t stop—you can keep the vibes flowing and decide when to hit pause, not the technology at play.
While this sounds like a dream come true, actually pulling this off isn’t so simple. Tech like over-the-air wireless charging exists, but not many devices currently support it well. This idea represents a future where homes can be smarter, not just focused on things like lighting but tailored to fit our everyday behaviors and lifestyles.
