Back
Technology

Prego and StoryCorps Release Limited-Run Device to Record Dinner Conversations

Generated on: Last updated: 2 sources
View source

A Device to Save Dinner Conversations

In an unusual partnership, a pasta sauce brand and a nonprofit oral history organization have released a limited-edition device designed to record conversations at the dinner table. The device, which lacks internet connectivity and a screen, is intended to encourage participants to put away their phones during meals.

Product Details and Specifications

The device, named the "Connection Keeper," is a round unit that resembles an oversized pasta jar lid. It contains two microphones and records CD-quality audio to an internal 16GB microSD card, which can store approximately eight hours of audio. The device is activated and deactivated manually with a single button press.

It has no screen, cloud connection, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or artificial intelligence features.

After recording, audio files can be transferred to a computer via a USB-C port.

Partnership and Intended Use

The Connection Keeper was created by Prego, a US-based pasta and pizza sauce brand, in collaboration with StoryCorps, a 23-year-old nonprofit organization. StoryCorps has recorded conversations with over 720,000 people, with some archives housed at the American Folklife Center in the US Library of Congress.

According to statements from the companies, the goal of the device is to encourage conversation during family dinners instead of phone use. The device is packaged with a deck of cards featuring conversation prompts inspired by StoryCorps.

Recording Storage and Sharing Options

Users have multiple options for handling their recordings:

  • They can save the files to personal storage after transferring them via USB-C.
  • They can voluntarily upload recordings to a dedicated StoryCorps microsite. On this site, recordings are set to private by default.
  • Users can choose to share their recordings with other StoryCorps users, the general public, or submit them to the StoryCorps collection at the Library of Congress. Submissions to the Library of Congress become part of the public archive.
  • Recordings uploaded to StoryCorps can be accessed via the StoryCorps smartphone app.

Availability

The Connection Keeper will be available for online purchase starting April 27.

It is priced at $20 and is sold as part of a bundle that includes the device, a jar of Prego sauce, spaghetti noodles, and the conversation prompt cards. Prego plans to produce fewer than 100 units.