John Mak: Creator of the World's First Waterproof Bluetooth Headset
Electric engineer John Mak quit his job to create BFU, the world’s first waterproof Bluetooth headset, so you can listen to music while you swim. Compatible with all mobile phones, its battery can last up to 13 hours. He talks to Jaime Chu about his aquatic adventures.
HK Magazine: How did you come up with the idea of inventing a waterproof Bluetooth headset?
John Mak: I realized that the Bluetooth market had a lot of potential when I was in my old job. I had to take a lot of calls outside office hours, and it didn’t make sense to me that I couldn’t take my phone out at the beach, lest it got wet. There wasn’t a Bluetooth headset you could swim with, so I decided to create one.
HK: What was the greatest challenge in the process?
JM: The sound quality was really poor in the first batch of models. There was a lot of echo and ambient noise being picked up on the streets. Eventually it was fine-tuned so that people could hear clearly, even in the MTR. The hardest part was to make the microphone both waterproof and with good sound quality. I tested at least 100 models.
HK: Did failure ever cross your mind? Did you ever think about quitting?
JM: At first, I had no idea how to start because waterproof Bluetooth technology had never been created before. Personally, I don’t mind hardship. I knew it could be done, it’s just a matter of how to approach it and completing the project.
HK: A “Made in Hong Kong” label is so rare these days. Why did you decide to manufacture BFU in Hong Kong instead of China?
JM: It’s mainly so that I could control and maintain the quality, especially since our brand is still small. I have to personally see that every single device works 100 percent and is totally waterproof, because that part of the assembly is a bit complicated.
HK: Did you imagine you would invent something like this when you were younger?
JM: To some extent. I always thought it would be easier to design and come up with your own product after studying electric engineering at Polytechnic University, which is what I did.
HK: Now that we have iPhones and Bluetooth we can swim with, where do you think cell phone technology is heading?
JM: Maybe a tough phone that can withstand drops. I think there is still a lot of potential in the Bluetooth market. There are still many avenues that haven’t been explored yet, such as wi-fi and radio.
HK: What’s your next project?
JM: I want to see if I can design a mobile phone that can withstand a three-storey drop.