In this latest ‘High Bit’ episode, our managing partner Brett Gibson sits down with Ben Chelf and John Boiles, cofounders of Sol, the company behind the world’s first wearable e-reader.

Ben and John walk us through Sol’s journey, from conceptualizing a distraction-free reading device to overcoming the technical challenges of integrating e-ink displays into a wearable format. They also share insights on their user-centric design approach and the potential future applications of their technology.

“We weren’t going to make reading better by just some software hacks or a fancier app,” said Ben. “The pace of change, especially with E Ink displays and wearable technology, has been incredible in recent years. Some of the things we’re doing now would have been impossible even a few years ago.”

Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
02:16 – The Birth of Sol Reader: From Idea to Prototype
05:19 – Comparing Sol Reader to Other Wearable Technologies
09:59 – Technical Challenges and Innovations in E-Ink Displays
20:30 – Manufacturing and Quality Control Processes
23:12 – Software Development and Optimization 33:40 – Future Plans