Face-on with Razer's smart mask: Talking Tech podcast

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Hey there listeners. It's Brett Molina. Welcome back to Talking Tech. So we've been living now wearing cloth or surgical masks for about a year and a half, close to two years now. So it's no surprise that tech companies are considering a leap and making these masks more high-tech.

Let's consider Razer, for example. We know them mostly for a lot of the video game peripherals they make such as controllers and headphones. Most recently on this podcast, we talked about the new wireless earbuds that they rolled out.

Their latest gadget? The Razer Zephyr. It is a wearable air purifier. It's available now, costs $99. And again, it's the latest in developments from tech companies attempting to help you upgrade your mask.

Another recent example was a partnership between Will.i.am and Honeywell on the Xupermask, spelled with an X. It's a $299 smart mask. It has earbuds. It has Bluetooth. It also has a HEPA filtration system.

We're going to focus though now on the Zephyr. I got to actually try this out for about a week or so, and you can read my thoughts on tech.usatoday.com. My first impression is it's kind of fun to wear. You will feel like a super villain. The name that jumped to mind the second I put these on Bane. If you remember from the movie, The Dark Night Rises, first thing I thought of putting it on. And when I was talking with the mask on, that's how I felt and sounded as I was wearing it. Like I'm going to go fight against the Batman or commit some other super villainy.

It is still a fun mask. The design is very similar to a lot of those respirator masks that you might see that are used for house painting. It has this hard shell, and it has two straps, one that goes kind of around your neck and then another one that goes behind your head. There are two air exchange chambers on the front, and they feature dual circulating fans, and that helps circulate cool air through the mask.

That was one thing that I found interesting wearing this was that I remember when I first started wearing the cloth masks and the surgical masks, you almost have that feeling like your breathing is a little bit more, I don't want to say labored, but it just feels like you have to breathe a little bit more or breathe a little harder maybe compared to not wearing a mask.

There was that period where you have to take a couple minutes to adjust wearing a mask early on. You didn't really get that wearing the Razer mask. It felt very comfortable, felt very breathable. The chambers, these air exchange chambers also have N95 filters that provide two-way protection for yourself and those around you. Also, that front part of the mask is transparent. It has interior lights, and it also has an anti-fog coating, which Razer created to help solve one of the biggest issues wearing masks, which is we can't really see anyone's mouths move when they speak. And so sometimes it's tough to understand what they're saying. With this and the light on and the anti fog coating, you can actually see people's mouths move as they talk with the mask on.

This is a Razer device. So it lights up a lot. These exchange chambers light up in a bunch of different colors that you can control through a smartphone app. So you can have like purple, blue, whatever color you want basically, or can cycle through a variety of different colors, depending on what you want.

The smartphone app also adjusts the speed of the fans. You can turn them high or low, or you can turn them off completely. You can also make the interior lights different colors, as well.

The battery on this mask lasts up to eight hours with the fans set to low and the lights off. So obviously if you're using more of this stuff, you're going to get shorter time with the battery life.

So the two big questions related to this. First off, will this protect me from COVID? Razer says the mask is registered with the FDA, and it's lab tested for 99% bacterial filtration efficiency, which is a measure of how well it filters out bacteria. Now Razer does point out though, this wearable air purifier has not been tested specifically against the COVID-19 virus, but it offers the same functionality and adequate protection. So there you go.

The other big question obviously is wearing this thing in public. What's it like? Definitely it is a very different mask. You're going to stand out. Even without the lights, it kind of felt like people were staring at you, and it's not like you're wearing a cloth or a surgical mask. We're all used to those. This is a very different mask. Now tack on top of that, you've got all these different bright lights going, and you've got these fans going, and it's going to attract attention. So that's something to think about when you buy a mask like this.

The other thing to consider too is the price. It's $99. You also can buy a pack of 10 sets of N95 filters for $30. Razer advises folks to change the filters on the mask every three days. So one pack of those is going to last you a month. So you're spending about $30 a month on filters on top of the $99 for the mask itself. There's also an anti-fog spray that comes with the mask as well, so that way you can keep that window where your nose and mouth sit clear and people can see it.

The smart mask movement is really fascinating because for a lot of us, we felt like this pandemic was going to end a lot sooner than we expected. We're obviously approaching year two of this now, which is why I think we're seeing a lot of tech companies jump into the smart mask market. It really depends. Your interest in this mask, I think, just depends on your level of commitment.

Do you want something a little sturdier? Do you want something with those filters? Do you just want something just for the show of it, just for that? Then this might be something to think about. If you're just as fine with the mask that you have right now, then I'd say keep going with it. It really just depends on where you're coming from with this.

Again, like I said, it is kind of weirdly fun wearing the mask, but also wearing this to the grocery store is probably not something I'd put at the top of my list. And I think that's something to think about too. Would you really wear something like this to the grocery store or go into another shopping adventure or whatever. That's the big thing to me.

Listeners, let's hear from you. Do you have any comments, questions, or show ideas? Do you have any interest in smart masks? Would you ever consider buying one? Let me know on Twitter. I'm @brettmolina23. Please don't forget to subscribe and rate us or leave for review on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, anywhere you get your podcasts. Don't forget we have a newsletter too, comes out every Thursday. You can subscribe at newsletters@usatoday.com.

You've been listening to Talking Tech. We'll be back tomorrow with another quick hit from the world of tech.