Christina Mercando was having a communication issue: She’d often return from dinner with friends to find tons of missed messages and calls from her family.
And she noticed others were having the same problem.
Mercando’s solution? Ringly, a smart ring that connects to a phone and alerts users to a waiting message with a subtle vibration or light.
“A lot of tech companies today are building items that are masculine,” Mercando said, noting that technology should be an enabler and the design a centerpiece. “[They think] if they just make them pink, women will wear them.”
The first collection of rings, which launched in June and sell for $195 each on ringly.com, are 18-karat gold plated with precious and semiprecious stones including emerald, rainbow moonstone, black onyx, pink sapphire and tourmalated quartz. Wearers can select the notifications they want to receive (e-mails, texts, phone calls, etc.) and if they want the ring to vibrate, light up or both via iPhone or Android apps.
“How many [people] have their phones out on table today? For us, it’s about being able to better enjoy the moment,” Mercando said. “There’s no reason to have a phone out on the table.”
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She wants people to do the things they want to do — go out to dinner, hang out with friends, go to a movie — without having to stare at their mobile screens.
Ringly will be available in stores next year.
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