It’s not exactly Green Lantern’s ring, but the BioRing is a wellness tracker that is rugged enough to be waterproof and resistant to scratches while it measures various metrics concerning your overall health.
The Indiegogo-backed device, from a startup with the same name, is designed to be gender-neutral and worn throughout the day, both in wake or sleep states. It is a basic ring form with no design or inscription that might make it overly masculine or feminine.
Inside, it has a number of sensors to track an extensive set of metrics that include calorie intake, fat intake, heart rate, calories burned, protein intake, sleep level and status, stress levels, water levels, activity intensity, as well as distance and steps.
Beyond the 3-axis accelerometer that measures activity and steps, there is a bio-impedance sensor that does a couple of things. It handles calorie intake, but it also sends electrical pulses with high and low frequencies to measure fluid changes in your cells. We’ve seen this tech in action on the much bulkier HealBe GoBe wearable, which provided mixed results during our extensive review.
The ring connects wirelessly to an iOS or Android device to sync with the BioRing app to collect and arrange the data for a holistic view of your health. The onboard memory is able to save a week’s worth of data before syncing, so long as it still holds a charge. Sharing and social media features figure into the data as well.
The smart ring even vibrates for incoming notifications from the BioRing app, as well as other notifications from your phone. It’s unclear which notifications you can receive with the ring, but the company says you can customize the vibration alerts to differentiate between notifications, much like you can with the more fashion-forward smart bracelet and smart rings by Ringly.
The BioRing comes in black and white, or a limited sterling silver model, with multiple size options. It is available starting at an early-bird price of $200, while the regular retail price is going to be $300. If you’re interested, you can back the project here, but be aware that this campaign — like every other crowdfunding campaign — may experience delays.
Having already tripled its funding goal, the BioRing looks to be well on its way to meeting its shipping promise to early backers slated for November 2016. The company also claims to have a working prototype ready and a setup for manufacturing the device. The funds from its campaign will be used to perfect the prototype and move on to mass production, BioRing says.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.