Fujitsu's ring lets you write in the air with your fingertip
Head-mounted displays are frequently supposed to keep your hands free, but they only sometimes live up to that promise. You can't really dictate a message in a noisy warehouse, can you? If Fujitsu gets its way, you won't have to. It just built a smart ring that not only allows for motion control (something we've seen before), but in-air handwriting. All you do is trace letters with your fingertip, and the motion sensor translates those scribbles into usable characters -- supremely helpful if you need to send a quick reply when you don't have access to a keyboard. There's an NFC tag reader in the ring, too, so you can get instructions for working on a device just by tapping it.
The prototype is far from a fashion accessory (seriously, just look at it), but at least there's a real chance you'll see it in use soon. Fujitsu is already subjecting the ring to real-world tests, and the goal is to put it on fingers sometime in the company's fiscal 2015. You might not have the luxury of buying this apparel yourself, but you may end up slipping it on if you're a mechanic or another in-the-field worker that can't afford to reach for a phone or laptop.
