There’s an issue inherent with the idea of a smartphone with apps: it constantly needs to be fiddled with in order to access the appropriate app at the right time. DOT tries to alleviate that problem.
DOT is a small, LED-equipped device that acts as a beacon. With it, users can use it to better contextualize an environment and program a smartphone or tablet to adjust accordingly. For instance, should someone be reading a book on a tablet, sitting down on the couch will prompt the nearby DOT to launch the app with book being read to the page they left off. Or, users can leave digital post-it notes to someone else that will notify them when walking past. This extends to reminders, to-do lists, navigation, and even smart home integration. And with an open API, it’s bound to become much more versatile. A DOT goes for $20 and is slated to ship in March 2017. Its flexible Indiegogo campaign is looking for $20,000 by October 1st, 2016.
The biggest thing DOT has going for it is its affordable price. Outside of that, having apps launch automatically has the potential to become a nuisance and some of its more useful features, like post-it notes and smart home control, can be accomplished more easily through a simple text message and smart home systems smart enough to react to your presence using the phone itself. Outside of its potential down the road, it’s hard to see why someone would spring for a DOT right now.