Skip to main content

Eyecatcher, the e-ink wearable, really is pretty eye-catching

Need a wearable that’s as fashionable as it is functional? Then look no further than Kickstarter, where you can find the “smart, large-display, super-charged wearable,” otherwise known as Eyecatcher. Much more than just a timepiece, a fitness tracker, or a piece of dynamic jewelry, the Eyecatcher attempts to combine many accessories into one, all by way of a power efficient flexible electrophoretic display, more colloquially known as e-ink. So now, your Kindle can live on your wrist, but in a much more avant-garde fashion.

Unlike other wearables, which have privileged function over form, it is clear that Eyecatcher made aesthetics its No. 1 priority. The almost bangle-like design of the smart bracelet comes in different sizes and materials for both men and women, including stainless steel, white bronze, and sterling silver, and its always-on display is splashed across a bold 5-inch screen that wraps around your wrist.

A connected smartphone app allows you to choose what design to display, and also gives the wearer full autonomy over information like activity tracking, calendar events, maps, text messages, breaking news, and stock notifications. And better yet, the Eyecatcher promises that a whole year’s worth of fashion and fun can be provided by just a single charge.

With 43 days left to go in its crowdfunding campaign, the Eyecatcher has already raised over $50,000 of its $75,000 goal, and already, the introductory level price of $214 has nearly expired thanks to a number of eager backers. Makers of Eyecatcher promise that “prices will go up,” so if you’re interested in snagging one of these unique wearables at a relatively low price, now may be your best chance to do so.

While the wearable market has historically been geared more toward gadget-loving men, the Eyecatcher was designed specifically with women in mind. “We realized they were not interested in information. Women wanted pictures, patterns — an emotional connection,” Per Ljung of Looksee Lab, the company behind the wearable told The Next Web. “So we made a jewelry piece and showed it, and women pulled out their credit card to order it.” And because the Eyecatcher is more customizable than other devices on the market (and certainly more fashion forward, what with its intrinsic connection to art and design), Ljung has high hopes for his latest product’s future.

So if you’re looking to get in on the action early, head over to Kickstarter now and order your own Eyecatcher. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until February of next year, when Looksee Labs plans to begin its online sales.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Oaxis InkCase i7 gives your iPhone 7 a low-power secondary screen
oaxis i7 case rsz macgpic 1476134529 59931822672867 jpt

A truly novel smartphone case is a rare thing, indeed. But in an ocean of homogeneous waterproof housings, billfolds, screen protectors, and other novelties, one stands above the rest: the Oaxis InkCase. Unlike most smartphone cases, it's functional -- the InkCase i7 for the iPhone 7 boasts an E Ink display that charges via magnetic induction and pairs to your phone via Bluetooth. And it's virtually guaranteed to stretch your smartphone's battery life without adding undue bulk.

Though the InkCase's marketing materials seem to suggest otherwise, the case's E Ink screen isn't intended as a replacement for your iPhone's screen. Rather, it's meant as a monochromatic complement: Instead of flipping on your iPhone's bright, power-hungry screen to read a news item or other tome, you can opt instead to use the InkCase's rear screen. The case's companion app features a "Read It Now" function that automatically archives downloaded articles and ebooks for offline reading, removing advertisements as it does so.

Read more
Cotton coated in graphene-based ink may support a sustainable, cheap wearable
cotton graphene 1

The wonder material graphene has shown so much potential in the lab that the University of Cambridge founded an entire center in its names. Now, a team of researchers from the Cambridge Graphene Centre (CGC) and Jiangnan University, China have designed a wearable motion sensor using cotton coated in graphene-based ink. The cheap, sustainable technology could find applications from healthcare to sportswear.

To develop the conductive cotton, CGC researcher Felice Torrisi and his team chemically modified flakes of graphene so they would firmly stick to cotton fibers like colored dyes. The process helps maintain the conductive properties through a series of wash cycles and enables the researchers to design electronic systems right into articles of clothing.

Read more
Oaxis InkCase i7 helps you save iPhone battery with a second, E Ink display
oaxis inkcase i7 launch eink

One of the iPhone's main issues is battery life -- and one of the biggest consumers of that battery life is the display. While the iPhone's display looks pretty nice, it just doesn't compare in battery use to something like an E Ink display. That's why Oaxis wants to stick an E Ink display on the iPhone. No, not as a replacement to your phone's existing display, but rather as an addition on the back of the phone.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen a company attempt to integrate an E Ink screen into a standard phone design -- the Yotaphone, for example, comes to mind. The new Oaxis iPhone 7 case, however, takes a different approach -- by simply integrating a screen into the case itself.

Read more