HapWare's Aleye wristband, named one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2026, turns smiles, waves and handshakes into vibrations that blind users can feel. CEO Jack Walters explains what has changed, along with pricing, pre-orders and privacy. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece also take on the growing push to ban smart glasses. The show starts with the other assistive tech on Time's list, the Mangoslab Nemonic Dot braille label printer. That leads to a moan about braille labelling. The electronic options, like the 6dot label maker, cost well over $1,000, and the old manual embossers take more hand strength than Steven has. Steven was back on BBC In Touch, and he's tired of hearing that Meta smart glasses should be banned from pubs, pools and even whole countries. He points out that privacy and decency laws already cover misuse, as they did with phones. Shaun pushes back on calling the glasses life-changing, and they get into what actually counts as essential for blind people. Jack Walters, CEO and co-founder of HapWare, tells Shaun how Aleye has grown beyond facial expressions. It now reads text and spots objects without being asked, such as the aisle you're standing in. It works with any Meta glasses or your phone camera, and you don't need Meta's live AI. Jack talks about learning the haptic patterns, how much beta testers wanted to know, and the first watch-sized standalone prototype. Pre-orders are open until 31 December with a $59 deposit toward a $359 price. The first batch is 500 units, aimed at a launch around May 2027. The subscription is $20 a month or $199 a year. Jack also covers SOC 2 security, opting in to share data, and shipping to the UK, Canada and Australia after the US. Chapters0:00 – Intro: Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 20261:52 – Nemonic Dot and the cost of braille labels7:43 – BBC In Touch and the smart glasses ban debate20:50 – Jack Walters from HapWare joins23:45 – How Aleye turns visual cues into haptics26:36 – Unprompted text and object detection32:33 – Learning the haptic patterns37:00 – Beta feedback and the first standalone prototype41:29 – Time award impact, pre-orders, pricing and privacy51:39 – Wrap-up and your feedback Relevant LinksHapWare: https://hapware.comHapWare Aleye pre-order: https://hapware.com/pre-orderMangoslab Nemonic Dot: https://mangoslab.com/NEMONIC-DOT-printerAira: https://aira.ioBe My Eyes: https://www.bemyeyes.com ---- Follow on: YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtubeX (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/xInstagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagramTikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktokThreads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threadsFacebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebookLinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedinSubscribe to the Podcast: Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/appleSpotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotifyRSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcastiHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheartAbout Double Tap Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited. "Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
