A Montreal-based smart jewelry startup recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for Blinq, a Bluetooth-enabled ring that discreetly alerts you when you receive notifications on your phone. According to the Blinq team, their goal is to keep users in the moment:
Blinq is the next evolution in wearables. By combining fashion with functionality, we are able to deliver a product that puts you in control of how you receive digital information. Our mission is initiate a lifestyle shift by allowing people to stay connected without being consumed by their phones.
How does it work?
Blinq connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and is controlled by the free Blinq app, which is available on both the App Store and Google Play. After connecting Blinq to the app and following setup instructions, notifications will come through to your ring, causing it to pulse with light and vibrate. You charge Blinq by slipping it onto its wireless charging stick. According to the Blinq team, it only takes two hours to charge fully. Blinq is also completely water-resistant, so you can wear it while washing your hands, showering, or taking a quick dip in the pool.
- Blinq - Free - Download now
What can it do?
Though Blinq's functionality is pretty simple, it does have some cool features:
- Fully customizable notifications: You have complete control over what notifications you receive on Blinq, meaning you can hand-pick which alerts come through and from where. If you only want to be notified of Twitter replies and calls from your mom, you can do that. Blinq even has different preset modes for different situations, like "Going Out Mode" which only sends you notifications from ride sharing apps like Uber, or "Shopping and Selling Mode" which only sends you notifications from apps like Etsy and eBay. You can also set it up so that you only get certain notifications within a certain time frame. For instance, if you're going to be in a meeting for the next hour, you might set your Blinq so during the duration of the meeting only calls from your family will come through in case of an emergency.
- SOS: Speaking of emergencies, Blinq also has a discreet way of sending emergency messages when you're in distress. If you tap the ring repeatedly until it vibrates, you can send a pre-drafted emergency message to a preselected contact saying that you're in trouble. This distress message will also include your current location so help can get to you as soon as possible.
- Fitness Tracking: In addition to receiving notifications, Blinq also has a fully integrated step tracker that syncs with both Apple HealthKit and Google Fit. This means you can get a full daily reading of your total steps, calories burned and distance accumulated without wearing any additional smart accessories like a FitBit or Apple Watch.
Blinq comes in two styles, cloud (top) and petal (bottom), and you can choose different combinations of regular or gold-plated sterling silver and real, hand-cut gemstones like moonstone and aventurine. Though Blinq comes in ring form, it isn't the most dainty piece in the world, so if you aren't cool with bulkier jewels this might not be the best product for you. However, if you love the idea of a flashy cocktail ring that occasionally lights up like some sort of magical amulet, Blinq is right up your alley. If you support Blinq on Kickstarter now, you can get a Blinq ring, charger, and bonus enamel pin pack for $119. When Blinq is officially released, it will retail for $200.
Note: Backing crowdfunded projects involves a certain level of risk. Because this project is not yet funded, there's a chance it may never come to fruition.
Thoughts?
Would you use Blinq? Give us a shout in the comments!
