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Mota
Not everyone is thrilled about the idea of wearing a smartwatch. Some people ditched their watches in exchange for smartphones a long time ago and don’t want to go back. Others just don’t want to add something chunky to their wrists. If you’re still enamored with the idea of notifications, but shy away from smartwatches, maybe a smartring would be more your style.
The Mota smartring on Indiegogo shrinks phone notifications down to fit on your finger. Mota already entered the wearables market with an inexpensive smartwatch and is now hoping to take over your ring finger as well. The demonstration video for the smartring shows people getting notifications, like a phone call icon, and then swiping with their thumbs to see who exactly is calling. The ring is currently geared for phone, text, and email notifications, though Mota expects it will eventually accommodate notices from social networks as well.
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Ring sizes are notoriously fickle, so Mota is planning to create just one or two ring and then offer changeable interior pieces to adjust the fit. The battery standby time is expected to be between 24 and 72 hours, depending on usage. You will need to supply your own inductive charger to juice the ring up, though Mota is looking into adding a charger as a funding perk.
Unlike smartwatches, which typically run in the $200 to $300 range, the Mota is going for a $75 pledge on Indiegogo. It currently has raised more than $24,000 toward a $100,000 fixed-funding goal with 25 days left to go.
On some levels, a smartring sounds a little absurd. There’s not a lot of room to work with since you don’t have the screen space a watch style provides. On the other hand, the small size could be appealing for people who don’t want to flash a larger wearable. The smartring is very much under development. If the project is successful, Mota expects to ship the rings in the spring of next year. If just basic notifications are all you’re looking for, then the Mota smartring could be a subtle and relatively affordable method for achieving this.
