Technology has the bad reputation of being anti-social, and it isn’t hard to see why. With the way the devices available on the marketplace dominate the attention span, most agree on the negative effects it can have on relationships and behavior. In response the growing trend of humanizing technology is springing up, offering products that aim to connect, rather than disconnect, those who choose to use it.
The Tlinkle is a prime example of this sort of technology. The product is a Bluetooth-enabled tumbler that lights up when another designated Tlinkle is used. By leveraging a touch sensor below the tumbler’s frame, the embedded LED lights up with the corresponding color of who’s drinking from it. The Tlinkle is ideal for couples, but also shines between friends or within a family, all in the name of letting loved ones know you’re thinking about them.
Although the product is well intentioned, the amount of sips taken throughout the day will quickly make each moment of lit-up refreshment lose their importance. The companion app aims to alleviate that with community features, but even those seem half baked. Something like Smartstones is a bit more ambitious, and because of that ultimately more exciting.
A Tlinkle is awarded for $70, and is expected to ship in October of this year, given a successful $40,000 campaign.