14 DAY TRIAL // There's a new project on Indiegogo, one that, as such things tend to, probably won't become reality, but whether or not it does ultimately depends on media coverage, so here we are, taking a look at it. It's definitely odd enough to warrant this token of attention. We're not sure if there's any specific person or company we can credit with the idea of a clothing accessory that can act as an extension of the phone.
Even though Samsung was the first to make a smartwatch that can take videos with the belt and carry out voice calls through the belt clasp, the underlying idea is much older.
So one might actually say that this “Smarty Ring” that just showed up on the Indiegogo crowd-funding website is a late arrival.
After all, the technology to make something of a sort, a ring that can show the time and take phone calls, has existed for over a year now.
Anyway, the Smarty Ring smartring, so to speak, has a 13mm-wide LED screen on top of a stainless steel ring.
It also uses Bluetooth 4.0 technology (these wireless chips are really small today) to hook up to smartphones, because while the ring can take calls, it's still the phone that receives them.
We should probably say that the ring doesn't actually act as an audio device though. It can take and accept calls, or speed-dial, but not receive or make sound.
Thus, the Smarty Ring is a glorified remote control and notification receiver (light-up icons for texts, e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, Google Hangouts, and Skype), nothing more.
That said, it still boasts dual time zones, a countdown timer, an alarm and a stopwatch, and can even track your phone, sounding an alarm if it's more than 30 feet / 10 meters away.
The Smarty Ring will work with Android and iOS phones if they have Bluetooth 4.0, for 24 hours on battery power (wireless induction pad is used for recharging). If the project gets off the ground, the price will be of $100 / €100 or more. April 2014 is the ETA, and if you pledge $175 / €175 right now, you'll get one for sure as soon as it becomes available.
