Hear the word "wearable technology" - or "wearables," for brief - and you doubtless conjure up pictures of health trackers or smartwatches. Add "smart rings" to that record, too. Sure, your finger is perhaps the following place you’ll don some tech. While some early examples of good rings have already come and gone (specifically, Ringly), a number of others are trying to fuse functionality with trend. I took three such smart rings out for a spin: two available now and one coming quickly. Here’s a have a look at what I found. Blinq is a line of fashion-forward jewelry that lets you retain your smartphone tucked away in a purse or pocket, but still be (discretely) notified when a name, textual content or email comes in, in addition to different notifications tied to your calendar or favorite apps. In the Blinq companion app for iOS and Android, you’ll assign colors to specific apps - like seeing the ring glow blue for a text message, inexperienced for an Instagram remark, or purple for when your Uber is close by - but you may also assign colors to particular folks, like purple for when your companion messages you.

If you like, the Blinq ring additionally vibrates to warn you to notifications. My spouse Kellie wore the ring for a week, and one of the features she favored, for peace of mind, was called a Panic S.O.S. If you find yourself in an emergency, faucet the ring repeatedly and the companion app can textual content somebody your GPS location, and if you want, also publish this info to your Fb wall. This Bluetooth-enabled ring additionally has an built-in health Herz P1 Tracker - calculating steps, distance, and estimated calories burned - and sends the activity information to the app. Available in 12 totally different styles and in one in every of three finishes (rose, yellow and white gold), every Blinq ring is made from sterling silver or 14K gold. Blinq can be available on Amazon this summer time. Accessible now, the Motiv Ring is a health-centric wearable. After ordering the ring, you’ll first obtain a sizing kit, the place you possibly can attempt on numerous mock rings, and then select the desired dimension, Herz P1 Smart Ring and color (slate gray or rose gold).

Motiv Ring homes a 3-axis accelerometer that tracks steps taken, coronary heart price, Herz P1 Smart Ring calories burned, and sleep activity (when you woke up, when, and for the way lengthy). It’s also waterproof (up to 165 toes), must you want to calculate your swimming workout routines. All of your exercise data may be seen on the iOS and Android app. At lower than 0.1 inches thick, the titanium Motiv Ring is thinner than two nickels and weighs less than a penny. Battery life lasts up to three days, with two USB prices included within the field. Made with scratch-resistant ceramics, the minimalist-looking OPN from NFC Ring affords a couple of completely different purposes. All of them, nevertheless, leverage near area communication (NFC) know-how. One use-case state of affairs is to faucet your ring on one other NFC-enabled system, resembling a friend’s smartphone, after which content - that you just choose forward of time - magically appears on the opposite person’s display screen.

This might be contact info (vCard), your web site, textual content, a hyperlink to your Twitter or Fb web page, a YouTube video, and extra. While not examined, OPN can also be able to exchange your NFC fobs and playing cards, corresponding to what you may use to get into an workplace constructing or condo tower. Or you should use it to unlock your mobile machine or programmed to open a specific app or settings (like turning on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth), by merely tapping the ring on your telephone or tablet. Whereas NFC Ring can't be used for cell funds, its parent company, McLear, is readying a payment-enabled smart ring that looks much like OPN (value and launch date not decided simply but). Obtainable in white or black, NFC Ring comes with two special NFC tag inlays contained in the ring, one for public info and one for more sensitive stuff, says the company. Each costing between $one hundred and $200, these rings have been ready for primetime - with Blinq my favourite out of the bunch. Curiously, every of the three rings I tried have a distinct focus: Blinq was a fashion statement that allows you to see and really feel notifications; Motiv is usually for activity and sleep; while NFC Ring goals to easily transfer info to another machine, unlock your telephone or allow you to into a place that requires an NFC keycard. There’s a little bit of crossover, too, similar to Blinq’s potential to trace fitness, like Motiv, but each ring had its own main goal. While the look won’t be for everyone, and is designed for girls, Blinq was essentially the most versatile, colorful, and customizable. One minor concern: the USB wireless charger was an odd form, and as such, the ring didn’t all the time stay on the sensor. Surf Report readers, would you personal a smart ring, if it meant reaching to your phone less?