In the opening scene of Mission: Impossible II, Tom Cruise free-climbs to the top of a Utah mountain range before popping on a pair of Oakley sunglasses and receiving his latest mission via their built-in media suite. Such übercool technowizardry is now one step closer with the release of the Oakley/Motorola O ROKR. This wearable, bluetooth-enabled MP3 player pumps out digital music wirelessly, while protecting you from UVA, UVB and UVC rays.
For such a formidably technological device, the pairing process is very straightforward. I had my phone and iPod (using the iCombi adaptor) linked up to the O ROKR within seconds of making contact, and was soon shuffling through tracks, tinkering with the volume and receiving phone calls through the easily navigable buttons on the frame of the glasses. (Though beware ye owners of elderly Appleware – only third-generation iPods and upwards are compatible.)
The O ROKR’s sound quality is fairly good, particularly when taking calls. However, real music aficionados will find it frustrating that the earphones provided cannot be replaced with alternatives. Noise-excluding rubber fixtures would prevent atmospheric sound from intruding and offer an altogether higher standard of audio.
The estimated 10m (33 feet) range for Bluetooth connection is slightly optimistic, as I found my music cutting out when I moved more than a few metres from the transmitting device. This would, however, pose little problem to Oakley’s core market of mountain bikers, skiers and boarders, who can enjoy wireless music on the move by stowing an iPod or phone in a convenient pocket or bag.
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Perhaps the O ROKR’s central flaw is philosophical rather than technical, for the drive behind this gadget is the ill-conceived idea that sunny weather and music are essentially synonymous. Unless you are pathologically incapable of wearing sunglasses without listening to music, the pesky earphone appendages become irritating during those quiet (but sunny) moments in your life. They tuck away relatively neatly under a flowing mane, but those of us with a more closely cropped haircut will be wishing they could be detached instead of carted around in perpetual expectation of musical accompaniment.
For all the technical virtuosity involved in bringing the O ROKR to light, the style department at Oakley Towers clearly took an extended holiday while their engineering colleagues at Motorola beavered away through the night. It may be a sad reflection on our superficial and image-obsessed society, but sunglasses are the ultimate fashion statement. Who, then, would feel comfortable walking out of the house wearing a visual accessory which would put Deidre Barlow to shame – regardless of its aural capabilities?
It leaves you half-hoping that the O ROKR glasses, like Cruise’s M:I 2 eyewear, would self-destruct when removed.
Pros: In technical terms, the innovative O ROKR is sure to influence the next generation of audio gadgets.
Cons: From an aesthetic perspective, these shades are decades behind the times.
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Verdict: The O ROKR boasts plenty of impressive features, but it’s way too early to be celebrating the birth of audio shades.
Website: oakley.com
RRP: £199 (£225 with iCombi adaptor for iPod users, which is sold separately for £59)