Wearable bluetooth technology that connects to our phones and enhances their features are sort of becoming the new craze around town. Even if you're like me and you're not exactly convinced with the idea that you need wearable tech, the thought is certainly being entertained and pushed a lot more these days with the rise of the smartwatch and even smart glasses. Some crazier ideas like the smart wig and smart socks have also been talked about as of recently, but whether those ideas will garner enough attention as smart watches or smart glasses is yet to be determined (I'm not holding my breath). But as we enter an age where wearable tech is a huge open door for opportunities, every once in a while you'll come across an idea that just might work, and I think we might just have another one on our hands.
This new Ring Bluetooth device, for instance, sounds pretty interesting. It might be the fact that the only jewelry I actually ever wear are necklaces, earrings, and rings, but I'm starting to wonder if I perhaps spoke too soon when it came to my interest in wearable tech, because Ring has caught my full attention.
What makes Ring so unique? We've heard of the idea of smart rings before, and even some kickstarter campaigns have been held before Ring's - but no idea has been as developed as Ring's, and I think that's what makes it so intriguing to a lot of people. Ring has aptly been described as "turning your finger into a magic wand" - which it kind of does. There are motion sensors in Ring that give it the ability to recognize and translate finger gestures into actions on the phone. Gesture a letter, it types the letter and in turn type out entire texts; gesture a shape and you can program your phone to open a certain app; you will even be able to program gestures for televisions and light switches. Ring is said to be compatible with iOS and Android at first, but the company is also working on an app for Windows Phone. Ring will also be able to work with the Pebble smartwatch and even Google Glass, so it's wearable technology that works with your wearable technology!
But seriously, after watching the video for Ring, I found myself humming the Harry Potter theme song in my head. It's a simple piece of technology that, at this point, I can admit I don't actually need. But hot dog, if that isn't the closest thing to living out my childhood dream of growing up to be a sorceress. Casting fireballs and ice meteors at baddies will never actually happen, but I will accept Ring as the next best thing. Watch me turn on the light and the TV with the flick of my finger. I mean, this is some straight up Matilda technology right here, and niche product or not, I want it.
I don't think that I would actually use Ring for texting. I've been toying around with the idea here for the past hour, and I've actually gotten to the point where I was recording the time between writing a sentence in mid air, and typing it on the phone - typing was always faster. Although I can admit, I do see a usefulness when it is needed. The problem is that I don't trust sending messages without looking at it first, and my handwriting has gone straight to oblivion since I started typing on smartphones and computers. I do not trust Ring to be able to correctly interpret my chicken scratch handwriting.
Other than that, Ring seems to have its bearings straight. The device will be open to other developers who may want to create applications for it, which gives it a wide range of possibilities. Ring doesn't have a screen on it, but it is able to push notifications via vibration or LED lights. The battery life of Ring is measured in gestures at the moment, with 1,000 gestures being the roundabout number that Ring can do before it needs to be recharged. One of the best things about Ring, in my opinion, is that unlike other wearable technology, it won't cost all that much. The cheapest version of Ring now being sold for $145, but developers hope to get that number down to around $100 in the future, and that is a price I think I can get behind.
But mine is just one opinion out of many, so at this point we want to hear from you guys. What are your thoughts on Ring? Would you prefer Ring over something like a smartwatch or smart glasses, or do you think that the idea will eventually flop, or it will only be a niche product? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Images via Mashable
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