Following a forward-thinking but ultimately unsuccessful foray into the world of smartwatches, developer Pebble is re-entering the market with a new generation of tech.
The most visible and interesting of these has to be the Index, a ring built with the sole purpose of helping you record audio notes to send to another device.
The Index limits itself to this exclusive use case. Being worn on its namesake finger, the idea is that the user presses a simple button, speaks their note, and the note is recorded. It’s a dedicated device where simplicity is the ultimate goal.
Available for preorder at US $75, the Index marks an interesting point where smart ring tech is becoming less complicated, not more so.
This has led tech speculators to wonder about the future of the technology and what the maximum potential of these systems might realistically become.
Working Within Hardware Limitations
The miniaturisation of processing technology is a core part of microchip development. They become smaller, they produce less heat, and it becomes easier to fit more of them in the same space.
This has occurred across a wide range of systems, from computers to smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smart rings, and practically every other technology using a chip.
The limitation with development typically bottlenecks in two ways. The first is heat dissipation, which is primarily a problem with high-performance systems.
The second, which is unavoidable for all, is battery life. While battery life isn’t an issue with a simple smart ring designed for basic functionality, it becomes a serious mitigating issue if any real processing is required.
This is a major advantage of the simple Index, but there might be solutions in some situations for more complicated devices.
Building Around the Hardware
As a wearable, a smart ring isn’t especially useful if you have to take it off. With the right design, however, you might not have to. Wireless charging platforms, already utilised by some smartphones, illustrate a natural solution in some use cases.
A ring could be used as a storage or processing device in combination with a computer system, for example, in which case a ring hand on a mouse might theoretically maintain full charge when it’s in operation.
The actual power of the ring would be limited, but far from useless. As a storage device, it could offer physical protection like few other systems. In terms of processing, it might one day be used for less-demanding tasks like browsing the net or light interactive entertainment.
Casino online UK platforms are a possible use case here, with titles like Blackjack Link and Premium Blackjack already perfectly playable on older and less powerful mobiles.
In the future, with faster chips and wireless power, it’s feasible that games like this might be playable through a ring, too, when connected to outside monitors and control devices.
The idea of smart watches was once thought of as silly and unnecessary, but these systems have gone on to prove themselves in safety, communication, and entertainment. With further advancements in miniaturisation, it’s feasible that smart rings might one day follow the same path.
As platforms like the Index prove the base tech, they could help pave the way for future adaptations, at least for those developers and users willing to explore what comes next.
