Sony's Smart B-Trainer puts your workout routine in your headphones

Headphones haven't exactly jumped on the "internet of things" bandwagon — for the most part, they're thankfully still just meant to get audio into your ears. One exception to that is the workout space, where headphone makers are adding new tech to their devices to make them more useful when you're out for a run. Take Sony's new B-Trainer headphones, for example — on the surface, they look similar to many other Bluetooth workout headphones, but Sony has developed them to include a host of features for those doing more rigorous workout training.

From the companion Android or iOS app, users can load specific workouts over to the headphones and also store music locally, so you can go for a run without bringing along your phone. And as you run, the headphones can measure your heart rate and then give you voice commands for your training program — it'll also change the music to slower or faster songs, depending on whether you're below or exceeding your recommended heart rate threshold. Unfortunately, we couldn't try them out (not that we're really up for a run at this point) — they're still strictly a prototype, with no price or release date forthcoming just yet.