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Nerd jewelry roundup: Guitar Hero cufflinks, gilded Atari ring and EQ wedding bands

by Darren Murph posted Mar 31st 2009 at 8:22AM

Not that we haven't seen nerdy wedding bands before, but for those who aren't really enamored with networking, we've stumbled upon another option that's just too awesome to pass up. Granted, the sound wave bands have been around a finger or two, but really, how awesome is a wedding ring with an EQ interpretation of "I Do" engraved in it? We'll tell you -- really awesome. Moving on, we've got the 1981 Atari ring, a solid piece of kit sporting an original Atari chip splashed with gold or silver. Lastly, we've got Cufflinks.com's latest, a set of Guitar Hero links that will undoubtedly make the faux rocker in your life grin from ear to ear. Dig in below for more details, but don't expect to purchase any of 'em but the last, and at $50 per pair, you should probably think twice.

Read - Guitar Hero cufflinks
Read - Atari ring and EQ wedding bands

Gallery: Nerd jewelry roundup: Guitar Hero cufflinks, gilded Atari ring and EQ wedding bands

DIY Screw-Nut rings replace roses, express affection

by Darren Murph posted Feb 14th 2009 at 10:17AM

Quick, guys! It's Valentine's Day! If you spent all week bringing home the cheddar and completely glossed over the need to buy flowers / chocolates / new cars / diamonds / Neil Diamond records, we've found just the thing to save your Saturday (and beyond). These DIY Screw-Nut rings aren't the most elaborate things in the world, but given that they'll be hand crafted by you, they pack an extraordinary amount of "aww" power. They're actually a spinoff of a more classy iteration, which saw the designer use 24-karat gold wedding bands and then add on the screw head and nut. We've heard that titanium and stainless steel will cut it if you're on a tight budget, but regardless of the chemical makeup, "it's the thought that counts."

Read - Original project
Read - Cheaper method

Solid Alliance's 2GB USB Skull Ring helps RPG players look tough

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 21st 2008 at 4:51AM

We'll be straight with you: there's no single expression of bad-assery more potent in the polyhedral kingdom of nerdistan than the USB Skull Ring. Brought to you by Solid Alliance, the 2GB USB drive feels right at home transferring files to your PC or at the end of a fist, deftly buried into the gut of a Moradin dwarf. Your choice for $145, no seriously. One more hair-free shot after the break.

Continue reading Solid Alliance's 2GB USB Skull Ring helps RPG players look tough

Cat 5 wedding rings help nerds couple

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 3:51AM

There you have it, the single most profound expression of your love and superiority over token ring in a $175 package. Presumably, these Ethernet rings come in both straight-through and cross-over pin-outs for traditional and same-sex nerding.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Sterling silver ring doubles as microphone, tiny cheese grater

by Nilay Patel posted Dec 15th 2007 at 5:03PM

We're not sure that a giant, shiny ring with a 1/8-inch mic cable running out of it is the world's most discreet recording option, but those of you looking to get all Maxwell Smart on it are now just $105 away from living the dream.

[Via GadgetDNA]

DIY Google result-counter ring boosts self-esteem, isolation

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 12th 2007 at 2:07AM

Although Googling youself is a time-honored pastime, we're not certain broadcasting the results is going to get you anywhere except home alone on a Saturday night -- but that might change if German designer Markus Kison's DIY Google results ring ever catches on. The (enormous) ring eschews all those tacky rocks for a multi-line LCD, which is programmed to display the number of hits Google returns for a particular name. According to Kison, "in a post information society" it's not the size of your ice, but rather "the attention you get from the world's people that counts," and his ring merely updates traditional jewelry to reflect that. An interesting idea, but it certainly sounds like Markus doesn't know anyone named John Smith.

[Via Make Blog]

Read -- Video of the ring in action
Read -- Description

Euri's multimedia ring box -- for nerds who want wives

by Darren Murph posted Oct 3rd 2007 at 11:05PM

We'd highly recommend spending a bit more time (and money) on the actual ring rather than the box it comes in, but for those looking to wow your tech-savvy fiancée even more when popping the question, take a look at Euri's multimedia ring box. This ring holder sports a two-inch LCD internally, along with a clock, calender and alarm, and is available in a number of hues. There's even an unspecified amount of internal storage included, and you can upload your favorite pre-engagement photos via USB and have them displayed on the big day. Granted, this snazzy box is $198.95, but you only get one shot (well, usually) to get a "yes."

[Via EverythingUSB]

Vibrating GPS rings could make traversing foreign lands easier

by Darren Murph posted Jul 23rd 2007 at 9:02AM

To be quite honest, there's been an awful lot of gadgetry lately tied to rings, and while it's a curious fascination, you won't find us griping over the latest ring-based device. Gail Knight's vibrating GPS hoops are nothing short of a traveler's dream come true, as these fanciful finger adornments work in conjunction with a neck-worn GPS controller to direct you to your destination via simple buzzing cues. The rings vibrate in a variety of manners to instruct the wearer which direction to go, which could certainly help an English tourist in Japan feel a lot more at home. Granted, even the inventor admits that the current design is entirely more suited for a lady, but we can envision quite a few macho gents putting their pride aside in order to refrain from being lost.

[Via NaviGadget]

Security Ring denies intruders when you're away

by Darren Murph posted Jul 20th 2007 at 9:29AM

Fingerprint scanners are so 2004. Yang Hai, an artist who apparently appreciates utility, has conjured up a concept that aims to make biometrics on PCs a thing of the past, as his aptly-dubbed Security Ring makes certain that no one can peruse your files while you're away. The device enables the user to select a lock down distance, and when the ring bearer exceeds that parameter (or simply heads to the lavatory), the connected PC locks out intruders and only opens up when its master returns. Talk about a hit waiting to happen in the corporate space.

Alarming 'Ring' concept vibrates finger to wake you up

by Darren Murph posted Jul 11th 2007 at 11:42PM

There's no shortage of bizarre creations that prevent you from oversleeping, but a Meng Fendi concept could actually help you (and your partner) wake up on the right side of the bed for a change. The simply-titled "Ring" sports an alarm clock dock with two times and a pair of wearable hoops, which enables you to wake up at a different time than your third-shift-workin' SO. Moreover, the elastic vibrating rings are donned at night, and simply provide a constant buzz to get your attention rather than wrecking your rest with a piercing array of beeps. Click on for a few more shots.

[Via Yanko Design]

Continue reading Alarming 'Ring' concept vibrates finger to wake you up

The ring mouse from Global Link for convenient cursoring

by Conrad Quilty-Harper posted Jun 10th 2007 at 6:35PM

Over at Computex in Taipei, Global Link is showing off a "Ring Mouse" which straps to your finger and allows for cursoring on pretty much any surface, including your thumb. The plastic case and strap means that this is probably not something you'd want to propose with, but the design is chunky enough so that unsuspecting passers-by in cafes will understand why you're repeatedly stroking your thigh. It's hard to tell how the mouse operates (is that a ball or a frickin' laser?), and we've no idea about pricing or availability, but that tends to be how it goes with these zany foreign gadgets.

WPI students create wireless 3D ring mouse

by Darren Murph posted May 21st 2007 at 11:37PM

No doubt we've seen some snazzy takes on mousing instruments, but when Popular Science dubs your twist on the critter we couldn't do without an Invention of the Year, you've accomplished something. A team of WPI undergraduate students were able to win such an honor by crafting the MagicMouse, a "three-dimensional computer mouse" that allows users to "control and manipulate items on a computer screen just by pointing at the monitor." While we've seen similar ideas for helping disabled individuals interface with a computer, this wee iteration actually fits around one's finger and "uses an array of receivers to track the motion of a tiny ultrasonic transmitter." The cursor is moved by waving one's hand back and forth, while moving closer and backing away enables zooming functions to be utilized, which should make handling those CAD drawings a good bit easier. Perhaps most notable, however, is the relatively low cost of assembly, as the entire contraption (rechargeable Li-ion and all) cost just $155, and we're sure you know how far that could fall if a bulk buying manufacturer brought it to commercialization. A few more pictures after the jump.

[Via Popular Science and Gizmag]

Continue reading WPI students create wireless 3D ring mouse

BlueQ's unsightly Vibrating Bluetooth Wristband

by Darren Murph posted May 18th 2007 at 12:01PM

There's no shortage of vibrating alerts available for your cellphone these days, and while the MBW-100 watch will kindly inform you of whose calling while still looking relatively stylish on your arm, BlueQ's simplified attention getter certainly lacks any hint of fashion. BQ Wireless has unveiled a stripped down wristband that simply sports an internal Bluetooth module, on / off button, and a Transfer button in case your cellphone won't automatically take over the cal from the device. Put simply, this wrist adornment shakes your arm when someone's trying to ring you up, and while this may be somewhat less noticeable than a blaring ringtone in the middle of a crucial interview, it's bound to be exponentially more embarrassing when someone informs you that your articulatio radiocarpea is buzzing uncontrollably. Nevertheless, it's slated to hit retailers in July for $39.95 if you're still interested.

[Via Slashphone]

Emotion-tracking rings to assist in distance learning

by Darren Murph posted Jan 7th 2007 at 3:56AM

Let's face it, not all of us will have the luxury of attending a school where we get to construct massive LEGO machines or learn how to become savvy in SMS, but a developing technology that tracks student emotions could help tutors and distance instructors alike in keeping kids focused while learning. Co-developed by Essex University's Vic Callaghan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Liping Shen, the emotion-tracking tutoring software can analyze physical signs to keep track of a student's attention span, their level of understanding, and even the amount of stress a certain lesson produces. Aimed to help tutors become more effective and to add another layer of "personal" to distance-based education courses, the software would receive information about a student's "heart rate, blood pressure and changes in electrical resistance caused by perspiration" via a sensor-laden, Bluetooth-enabled ring worn on one's finger. The information can then be assessed to determine a student's interest level and frustration level, but a decibel meter to measure snoring isn't likely to be included. If all goes as planned, the team intends on testing the system out in "real learning scenarios in China" to further tweak their creation, so it won't be too long now before an interest-tracking ring will become as necessary as ~~pencil and paper~~ a stylus and a tablet PC come class time.

BlackBerry Pearl won't ring in your pocket

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 17th 2006 at 12:53PM

Anyone who's had the good fortune of seeing a Pearl in the flesh knows that it's one extraordinarily good looking phone, particularly by BlackBerry standards. Unfortunately, where we come from, phones that don't ring are called "paperweights" -- which is exactly what the Pearl becomes when the trackball gets nudged. You know, like if it's in your pocket, or your purse, or pretty much anywhere besides a stationary counter top. As it turns out, when the phone rings, the handset immediately silences the ringer with even the slightest movement of the trackball, regardless of whether keylock is enabled. While we do appreciate the Pearl taking the initiative for us and ignoring phone calls so we don't have to, there is an occasional situation where we like to make the decision ourselves, and until RIM issues a fix users simply don't have that option. Strangely, two Engadget editors patiently attempted to explain the issue to a RIM representative this week at CTIA for several minutes without success; we think the first step to RIM issuing a fix would be for the company to understand the problem, so we could be in for a bit of a wait. Maybe the words we were using were too big?