Eat your heart out, Tolkien: A Japanese company has created a smart ring that empowers wearers to rule them all – their smartphone, smart home appliances, Google Glass, smartwatch and a variety of digital-enabled interactions, to be more precise.
The Ring (yes, that’s what this magical device is called) is the creation of Logbar Inc., a tech company with headquarters in Tokyo and an office in Sunnyvale, California. The description of how the device works is straightforward enough: Put the Ring on your index finger, tap the small button on the device and start gesturing your finger in the air to do things like take a photo, control your phone’s music player, write a tweet, turn on your TV and check the weather, among many other things. It connects to your smartphone, Google Glass or smartwatch via Bluetooth.
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While it certainly looks cool to confidently gesture with the Ring in a slick promotional video setup, one can’t help but to imagine what someone gesturing like this in public would look like. Of course, if the Ring is being paired with Google Glass, the standard for social acceptance is already adjusted.
Wearers can set their own custom gestures for their ring – or, as the website puts it, “Create your own gestures and become the Ring master!” The device also comes with equipment to adjust the size of the zinc-coated ring and a battery stand that looks similar to a finger.
The Ring’s lithium-polymer battery can last 1-3 days with continuous use and 18 days on continuous standby. It takes three hours to fully charge, according to Logbar.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $880,998 (the goal was $250,000) from 5,161 backers, Logbar began shipping The Ring on Oct. 9, three months after the initial July 2014 shipping date promised on Kickstarter. The Ring will set you back $269.99.
