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Amazon acquires Ring's smart doorbell business
If it wasn't already evident that Amazon wants a stronger foothold in the smart home space, it is now. Amazon has acquired Ring, the device maker best known for its smart doorbells. The terms of the deal aren't clear, but it's expected that Amazon will keep the core Ring business intact while finding ways to integrate its work into the Amazon ecosystem. Ring already supports Alexa voice control, so we'd expect more than just obvious tie-ins.
Motiv's fitness tracking ring now knows even more about you
A year after we first saw it at CES 2017, the Motiv fitness tracking ring is back with a slew of new functions. The device can already measure many of the same metrics as, say, a Fitbit or Apple Watch with the goal of getting you on your feet and active for 150 minutes a week. But, at CES on Monday, the company revealed its plans for the new year -- specifically, more nuanced sleep tracking, social sharing and finally (finally) Android compatibility.
Ring adds more camera and light options to its home security line
Ring's evolution from a smart doorbell to the biggest name in home security has reached a new milestone today. The company has announced a pair of new indoor/outdoor video cameras to better compete with its rivals, as well as a series of outdoor security lights.
The Enhancia ring turns your gestures into musical effects
Enhancia consists of a rubber ring that you wear while playing the keyboard, connected to a larger hub. Its purpose is to augment whatever tune you're playing with effects that are common in modern music -- often added later in the production stage -- with natural gestures and in real time. "We wanted to create the shortest path between musical intention and musical creation" said Damien Le Boulaire, CEO and one of Enhancia's four co-founders from Grenoble, France.
Judge blocks Ring's home security sales over trade secret dispute
The Ring Protect DIY home security system might not make it under anybody's tree this Christmas. A judge in Delaware has temporarily blocked Protect's sales due to a lawsuit filed by rival electronic security provider ADT. The bigger home security company is accusing Ring of stealing and using the platform originally developed for its products.
Ring launches its own DIY home security system
Ring may be best known for its video doorbells, but they've been branching out into a fully fledged home security solution. Today, Ring announced the Ring Protect, a DIY security system that brings together all of the company's products in one seamless system.
Orii smart ring turns your fingertip into a Bluetooth earpiece
While modern Bluetooth earpieces are more compact than ever, chances are you'll still need to leave at least one stuck in your ear. This can get uncomfortable over time, not to mention the dorkiness that's been haunting this form factor since day one. Hong Kong startup Origami Labs thinks it has an alternative solution to this problem: why not repackage the Bluetooth earpiece as a ring, and then use bone conduction to transmit audio to the fingertip? That's the basic concept behind the Orii smart ring.
Ring's updated doorbell stays in place while you swap batteries
Ring boasts that its smart doorbells reduce home break-ins, but its real killer feature is enabling you to screen out door-to-door salespeople. If you've been dragging your feet on buying one, then the advent of the Ring 2, with an upgraded 1080p camera, may be enough to tempt you. In addition, the updated video bell also gets a couple of new features designed to make it easier for lazy would-be smart home owners.
Ring intros a (kinda) wireless floodlight security camera
Traditionally, home security was something that you left to the professionals because all of your stuff was at stake. But plenty of startups are hoping to tempt you into doing it yourself with their plug-and-play (or stick-and-leave) alternatives. Ring, which made its name with wall-mounted video doorbells, is now showing off its new Floodlight Cam. As the name implies, the device combines the company's famous security cameras with a pair of LED floodlights.
Visa-powered payment ring is now available to everyone (update: separate product)
That Visa-based payment ring is no longer limited to athletes who made it to the Olympics in Rio. Anyone can now pre-order an NFC Ring that lets you tap to pay at many store terminals without pulling out your phone or twisting your wrist. Plunk down about $53 (£40) and you can get one in your size around its expected December ship date. As with the Apple Watch, you don't need your phone around once you've set it up -- it uses anonymizing tokens to make payments all by itself. It's not flawless (we found that you have to hold it at an angle for best results), but it's far subtler than many existing payment methods. Update 8/26: Visa tells us that the payment-capable NFC Ring isn't the same product as what athletes tried. It just happens to embody the same general concept. With that said, Visa says it has "future plans" for the tech it showed off -- you'll just have to wait longer to see that.
Olympic athletes will sport Visa's new payment ring in Rio
For those making their way to this year's Olympic games in Rio this August, Visa will be the only card accepted at official venues -- a pretty sweet deal for the payment provider. But, rather than be satisfied with exclusive access to the wallets of a half million tourists, the company is using the event to introduce a new ring that will let people pay with a wave of their hand: No phone, wallet or even battery needed.
Ring's Video Doorbell Pro is a sleeker, more powerful home portal
Ring's Video Doorbell is helpful if you want to know who's gracing your door, but it has its limitations: it streams in 720p, its motion detection isn't fine-grained, and its boxy design can stick out like a sore thumb. That's where the just-announced Video Doorbell Pro might save the day. The upgraded ringer not only captures footage in 1080p (helping you read that salesperson's name tag), but lets you specify motion zones that alert you when there's activity in a specific area, like your front porch or the mailbox. And as you may have noticed, the Pro is much smaller and slicker than its precursor -- it won't look quite so out of place at the front of a vintage home.
Ring branches out from doorbells, creates a WiFi security camera
One of the ways that Ring likes to sell its smart, WiFi-connected doorbell is that it, apparently, helps to reduce burglaries. In order to capitalize upon this trend, the firm is launching the Ring Stick Up Cam, an outdoor security camera that'll help people monitor their homes when they're out and about. On paper, the Stick Up Cam is effectively the same as the original Ring hardware, albeit with an adjustable mount and no button.
Ring's video doorbell let me banish unwanted visitors
If you live in a well-heeled apartment building it's likely that you have the use of a video intercom. People ring your bell and you can not only speak to them, but see them as well, which is useful for screening out folks you don't want to invite in. Ring's $199 smart doorbell offers a similar solution for everyone else, swapping out a wall-mounted videophone for a direct connection to your smartphone. In the interests of science, I decided to drill some holes into my front porch and see if having one is worth the effort.
Omate's pricey ring vibrates just for your beloved
While Apple, Olio and Opening Ceremony are already tinkering with premium materials in the smartwatch space, other wearable devices haven't received just as much love. But today, Omate and French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro launched the Ungaro ring, a simple notification wearable that ranges from $500 to a whopping $2,000. Why the premium? For one, the Italian-made ring is plated with either 18K gold or silver, and there are five options for the gemstone: blue topaz, opalite, onyx, sapphire and ruby. As for the "smart" part, this ring links to your phone -- iOS first, Android due Q1 2016 -- over Bluetooth LE, and will only vibrate when you receive a call or text message from your one and only selected contact. The tiny battery inside lasts up to five days.
Redefining the purity ring
"I know that we can't change people's behavior," says Irina Rymshina, "but in later life they may want children and they certainly don't want cancer. I think that we can help them." She's talking about Hoope, a wearable device that, it's hoped, will be able to put an STD clinic on your thumb. If successful, then you can say goodbye to the idea of having to pee in a cup to make sure that you can go out this weekend.
Propose to your beloved with this bitcoin engagement ring
Much like the idea that Santa Claus wears red, the notion that you should spend a fortune on a diamond engagement ring is the invention of advertisers. So, since the act is already about ostentatious displays of wealth, why not invest your money in something more useful than a big rock -- like bitcoin? That's the idea behind the bitcoin ring, a 3D-printed piece of jewelry with a QR code that lets anyone with the corresponding app see how much cash you've really got.
Ring's video doorbell now works like an old fashioned bell
The great thing about a smartphone-connected doorbell is that you're able to see and talk to the people standing on your porch. Never again will you miss the UPS courier because they've turned up just as you've settled down in the restroom. The downside, of course, is that only people whose mobile device is in their pocket will be alerted to the visitor. That's why the folks at Ring have cooked up a remote speaker that'll compensate for your lack of a doorbell in your hallway. Called the, uh, Ring Chime, the hardware plugs into a standard wall outlet, connects to your home network and away you go. Priced at $19.95, pre-orders for the gear will begin on June 1st, with shipping expected to kick off at some point afterward.
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 one (gesture control) ring to rule them all
While many companies are tinkering with lasers, ultrasound and even arm muscles for touchless gesture control on portable devices and desktop PCs, Japan's 16Lab just wants to put a pretty ring on you. The yet-to-be-named titanium wearable is designed by the award-winning Manabu Tago, and it features ALPS Electric's tiny module (5.05 x 5.65 x 2.5 mm) that somehow manages to pack Bluetooth Smart radio, movement sensor, environment sensor plus antennas -- there's a video demo after the break. Despite its custom-made 10mAh lithium polymer cell, 16Lab is aiming for at least 20 hours of battery life. This is possible mainly because you have to place your thumb on the top pad (with the ring's wedge pointing away from the user) to enable the sensors -- upon which point the ring vibrates to confirm that it's active. It's then just a matter of waving and tilting your hand until you're done.
