Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Ringly is the discreet notification accessory many women have waited for

editors-choiceThe Premise. As a culture, we’ve all seen the negatives of hunching over our smartphones all the time. We’ve realized that it’s nice to live in the moment, but work, kids, friends and other obligations keep us checking our phones constantly.

The Product. Ringly is a smart, stylish ring that connects to your smartphone. With five different vibration patterns and discrete colored lights on either side, it lets you know if you’re receiving a call, text, e-mail, tweet, any Facebook notification or event that you have in your calendar. The vibrations, colors and contacts who are important enough to reach the ring are all completely customizable from Ringly’s Android/iOS friendly app. It also comes in four different colors with fancy names, but to the layman they’re known as purple, light blue, green and black. In terms of materials, the ring is fashioned from 18K matte gold three micron plating and semi-precious stones.

The Pitch. Foregoing a typical Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign, Ringly is running its pre-order special directly from its own website. The site goes through the product’s different capabilities and shows the various color options available. In addition, it shows on which sites this vibrating ring has already been featured including Elle and Brit + Co.

The Perks. The site offers Ringly for 25% off of retail price at $145 for the black, purple and light blue versions and $180 for the green option. Shipping begins in Fall 2014 and currently Ringly only offers sizes 6, 7, and 8.

The Potential. Ringly is a great solution for business women, moms and students alike. Its ease of use and customizability make it one of the more competitive pieces of smart-apparel that we’ve seen lately. MEMI is a stylish, smart bracelet that functions much like Ringly, but is much bulkier in size making it slightly less convenient. Ringly, while maybe not everyone’s taste, is certainly stylish enough for younger busy bees. If its alert lights aren’t too garish and distracting, Ringly will be one of the coolest ways to keep in touch with one’s responsibilities while still enjoying life in the moment.

Categories
Sleep

SnoreNoMore promises silence in store

The Premise. Many adult men and many women suffering from nighttime snoring. Snoring is a symptom of an obstructed airway and can cause sleep problems and, in many cases, marital problems.

The Product. SnoreNoMore is a cure for snoring. This device looks much like an electric toothbrush without a head. It vibrates and has a soft rubber tip that is placed in the mouth against the soft palette to stimulate the area. This stimulation supposedly retrains the airways to work properly in order to alleviate snoring. The device is rechargeable and comes in several different colors. An accompanying Android/iOs friendly app allows users to track their progress with a snoring diary and reminders to use the device.

The Pitch. The campaign video begins with a cute cartoon of a couple’s distress over snoring. Hilmar Simon, the creator, then explains the mechanics involved in snoring and how his product works. He tells about how his father and sister’s snoring made their house shake which motivated him to search for a solution. Simon hopes to raise $140,000 with his 31-day Indiegogo campaign.

The Perks. For a $50 early-bird special, backers can enjoy the app alone. For $100, backers get the app and $50 off of their purchase of a SnoreNoMore. Only backers willing to fork over $350 can help with the beta stage of testing for 2-3 months, will receive the app and $100 off of the product, but still not the product itself. Only $1,000 gets backers the product, actually four of them, as well as the app.

The Potential. The idea of an actual solution for snoring as opposed to a temporary remedy is intriguing. Snore strips and mouthpieces must be worn every night to temper snoring, but the SnoreNoMore actually attempts to retrain the body to open up your nasal passages. The price of this product, however, is unreasonable and there should most definitely be a reward tier that offers one of the product instead of four. It seems that this should cost no more than an electric toothbrush because of how similar they are. Also, the video lacks any footage of someone using the product, and from the description, it sounds uncomfortable. Still, most would welcome a cure for their snoring no matter the cost. The app is also a welcome supplement for those who really struggle with this problem.