SmartRing
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Oura’s second-generation ring is a better fit for your finger
The first generation of Oura's smart ring was little more than a proof of concept, showing it was possible to put a fitness tracker on a finger. But you can understand why folks might have thought twice about wearing one of the massive pieces of jewelry. Inconspicuousness is the watchword for the second generation of the device, which at least does look like an actual ring.
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.
A biometric ring could replace your passwords, cards and keys
Smart rings aren't a novel idea: There are plenty of fitness tracking, notification-sending, payment or even protective finger ornaments around. But none have the ability to identify you and authorize your transactions wherever you go. That is, until Token hits the market. It's a biometric ring that can be used to open house doors, start cars, make credit card transactions and sign in to your computer. That all sounds nifty in theory, but without any real cooperation from the third parties that enable those authorizations, Token is all but useless. The good news is that its makers managed to get support from an impressive list of partners including MasterCard, Microsoft, Visa and HID.
Motiv crammed a full fitness tracker into a ring
Fitness trackers are a dime a dozen at this point, with Fitbit dominating the market. But as long as wearable gadgets have been in vogue, the concept of a "smart ring" has made the rounds in various forms. Here at CES, it looks like Motiv is the closest yet to cracking the puzzle of building a ring that's worth wearing. Motiv's ring is basically a tiny Fitbit: It packs in a heart rate sensor and can track your steps, sleep and "active minutes" with a goal of getting its users to be active for at least 150 minutes per week.
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.
Lycos is making a comeback with a suite of connected devices
Lycos is synonymous with the '90s. It was once the internet's favored portal, long before Google, Bing and other search engines. Nowadays, we're living in an era ruled by Silicon Valley giants and hungry startups, and Lycos wants to be a part of that. The company's plan to get into the connected world begins with Lycos Life, a data-driven ecosystem of products for consumers. This includes, but isn't limited to, wearables and home security devices -- all designed to work in conjunction with each other, based on your personal data. To start, Lycos is launching an activity tracker and a "smart" ring, both scheduled to be available on June 8th.
MOTA's vibrating jewelry promises more subtle notifications
Do you remember Ringly? The idea behind it was that people would use a vibrating ring to alert you about incoming calls, emails or text messages. If you can imagine that same concept, albeit in a smaller and less gendered package, then you have the starting point for the MOTA Smart Ring. Silicon Valley design outfit MOTA believes that in order to stop people checking their phone during conversations, notifications need to be buried somewhere even less obtrusive (and visible) than on a smart watch, and hey, it's pretty easy to look at your hands, right?
