Sports at Elf

We’re happy to sponsor and work with some of the best sports teams on the planet. They inspire us by their love of sport, athletic discipline, work ethic, camaraderie and sportsmanship. We’ll have more details to come in the next year about our ongoing collaboration. Sports are part of Elf and supporting teams we love, takes it to another level of happiness!

Apple’s Patent for New Smart Headphones Can Detect How They Are Worn

Just by listening to a user’s voice, technology in Apple’s new headphones can help you ensure that you never put on your headphones the wrong way again.

The new headphone technology will be able to detect how the headphones are being worn, solving the problem that some users have of wearing the headphones the wrong way. Using an array of new microphones, the audio accessory will be capable of switching channels automatically.

Addressing a Common Problem: Putting on Headphones the Wrong Way

In the patent application published on November 8th of this year at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Apple’s team clearly describes the new technology’s purpose: "System and method for automatic right-left ear detection for headphones." The new headphones can thus detect how the person is wearing the headset, automatically readjusting so that the left-channel audio will play out of the left-hand ear cup and the right-channel audio out of the right-hand ear cup. At the same time, the headphones themselves are not labeled with left and right designations in the design or direct labeling like other manufacturers have chosen to do.

The new technology consists of a set of five microphones placed strategically around each earcup - front, back, top, below to the left of the earcup and one inside towards the user’s ear. The technology listens to the user’s voice, checking the volume and thus figuring out which edge is closest to the person’s mouth and thus determines the orientation of the headphones. After the orientation is determined, the audio signal is then fed into each of the ear cups appropriately.

Another benefit of having multiple microphones is eliminating external noise when a person wearing the headset, makes calls or voice commands. Having five microphones in each ear cup of a pair of headphones would make it easier to isolate a person’s voice from background noise. In addition to making clearer phone calls, the technology would also help Siri better understand voice commands in varying surroundings. Apple has also filed a prior patent in October, "Electronic Devices with Configurable Capacitive Proximity Sensors," for proximity sensor electrodes in the earcup to hep determine the ear’s presence and shape to figure out if it is the left or right ear. Interestingly enough, the new technology can be used in a pillow to help figure out the way a person is sleeping.

Dual Mode Technology: Speaker on the Fly

Apple has been working on several headphone improvements, ranging from its patent on “Spatial Headphone Transparency” which adjusts an audio feed to sound like it is coming from a person’s surroundings instead of headphones. Another idea for a headphone that can function as a speaker has also been proposed called a “dual-mode” headphone as well as headphones that have sensors useful for healthcare and sports fitness monitoring. This next-generation headphone design can transform a stereo loudspeaker automatically, offering new technology integrations for potential EarPods, AirPods or Beats models in the future.

While Apple proactively files patents for many technology ideas, the company does not always necessarily develop these ideas into full-fledged products. However, headphones are potentially different given Apple’s keen interest in audio from iTunes to Apple Music, HomePod, Apple TV and now Apple’s own movie and TV shows. Well known industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also estimated in 2017 that Apple would sell 28 million AirPods or more this year.

Profile: A Few Leadership Lessons in Doing Your Best from Chloe Kim, Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn and More Winter Olympics Athletes

As many of the world's finest athletes gather to compete at the Winter Olympics now underway in Pyeongchang, South Korea, all eyes are steadfast upon them. The Olympics represent many values to people worldwide, notably high performance tied to health, well being and discipline. Here we take a closer look at some of the lessons we're learning from Winter Olympic athletes.

The Winter Olympics of 2018 offers more opportunities for showcasing and testing talent through more events than prior Olympics, ranging from downhill alpine skiing and snowboarding to free style skiing, figure skating and bobsled racing. There are many compelling athletes competing today. Team USA had the largest number of athletes competing in this year's event than any prior Olympics. Here are some lessons we're learning from these wonderful athletes.

Do what you love and love doing it.

When you do what you love, you bring an energy and enthusiasm that is invigorating and helps you push on further to achieve more and more. By choosing a pursuit that you excel at and enjoy doing, you can become better and perform at a world-class level. Many athletes choose to go into different professions after their sporting careers end. There is a time and place to do things. Knowing what you excel at and being able to seize opportunities when they come and apply yourself fully to doing it to the best of your ability, requires focus and commitment.

Watch Chloe Kim on YouTube land back to back 1080s and win Olympic Gold in the halfpipe final.

Be willing to sacrifice for the bigger win.

While a competitive event may range from a few minutes to a few hours at most, winning it takes a lot of preparation. Doing your best at anything requires a willingness to work hard and practice, again and again. To even qualify for the Olympics, an athlete has to win and compete at a higher level. This requires commitment and discipline. Well trained athletes eat, sleep and live their sport. This drives how many hours they sleep, if they indulge in alcohol or any desserts, how much exercise they do every day and their mental and emotional training. It affects choices they make about vacations and other pursuits their friends and families may be doing that they will need to give up in order to keep practicing and get closer to meeting their goals. Being able to work and train regardless of distractions, bad weather or indulgences, is key to athletic success. Winning takes sacrifice, commitment and discipline.

Jamie Anderson after winning Olympic Gold.

Approach success and failure with grace.

Not every competition results in a win. Olympic athletes can spend the entire prior four years preparing for their events and still lose or fail to achieve the goals they had set. Being able to enjoy the process regardless of whether you win or not, is important. Olympic athletes constantly demonstrate that they are more than just winners of sport competitions through their resilience and character. Big moments can be exhilarating and also stressful. American snowboarder Shaun White has seen both exhilarating successes such as his perfect score at the X Games in Aspen in 2012 and most recently again at the X Games in 2018 where he qualified for his fourth Olympics and also failure where he did not win any medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Being able to stay steady under extremes and learn from ups and downs takes fortitude and grace.

“I’m walking into it [the 2018 Olympics] with a better peace of mind and a better outlook on things … I’m just hoping to show up and ride like I know I can, put the runs down. If I can do that, I’m totally content.”

— Shaun White

Last night, Shaun enjoyed hard-won redemption with his final run, winning Olympic Gold for the third time. Watch on YouTube.

Fail, get up and try again.

Nowhere is resilience more evident than when you see an athlete repeatedly pursue goals despite failures and setbacks. A great example of this is American skier Lindsey Vonn who has won Olympic medals, World Cup medals and others and is the most successful American ski racer in history. She has suffered painful crashes and injuries, and overcome them to continue to compete again and win! Her remarkable strength is inspiring and powerful. Failure is undoubtedly an integral part of success and part of the journey to victory.

“When you fall, get right back up. Just keep going, keep pushing it. You are only limited to what you push yourself to, you know? You can always get better.”

— Lindsey Vonn

Most recently during the surprise upset at the Super Bowl where the Philadelphia Eagles soared to victory, quarterback Nick Foles also said some inspiring words about embracing failure.

Do your best at every opportunity.

Olympic athletes push themselves to do their best. They are known for pushing themselves and practicing to develop their skills at the highest level possible and perform at their best. Chloe Kim, an American snowboarder, who just won her first Olympic gold medal, epitomizes this. Even if she is joking around with her fellow athletes prior to competing, when it is her turn, she is completely focused and ready to engage. At 17, Chloe has joined a shortlisted group of athletes worldwide who have won their first Olympic medal before the age of 20. She's just getting started!

Work hard and tap in deeper into your talent.

Mikhaela Shiffrin was the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine skiing history at 18 years old in Sochi in 2014. Now she's returned to the Olympics after numerous World Cup wins and is the reigning Olympic and World Cup champion in slalom. Since her debut in 2014, Mikhaela has expanded her range, competing in different and challenging events that are new for her. She's consistently shown high performance, strong work ethic and remarkable talent, so much that former Olympian and alpine skier Bode Miller has said, "I think she's maybe the best ski racer I've ever seen, male or female."

Give back.

Training for the Olympics requires funding and not everyone can afford that. While some athletes can and others have wonderful parents who give up their careers to help their kids achieve their dreams, that is not possible for everyone.

Some athletes demonstrate a high level of commitment and caring beyond themselves. An example of this is snowboarder Jamie Anderson, who also just won Olympic gold, who set up a foundation to sponsor equipment, season passes and travel for young winter sports athletes.

Live fully and celebrate passion.

The 2018 Olympics slogan is "Passion. Connected." This is evident in the athletes competing and the audiences that have gathered to support and cheer them on! Passion is essential for achieving anything at a higher level.

On a last note, the Olympics represent much more than winning medals - they demonstrate human commitment, energy, grace, endurance and focus under pressure. There's a lot we can learn from the Olympic Games and from the compelling stories of individual athletes. You can watch the Olympics live at NBC here.