Lee Hnetinka

Nod: One Ring To Rule Them All (Gadgets, that is)

Wearable gadgets seem to be the next wave in tech. The idea seems to be that mobile is the future, and it doesn’t get much more mobile than a worn item. As WIRED reports, while most wearables on the market these days count steps or check your vitals, Nod aims to be the ring to rule over all of your other devices. Through a simple bluetooth connection and a few gestures, you can use Nod to control other gadgets.

The stainless-steel ring is an assemblage of motion sensors, two processors and a 4.0 Bluetooth antenna. It weighs roughly 2 ounces and is meant to be worn on the index finger. On the palm side, the ring extends and flattens into a touch sensitive control surface with sensors that can tell which finger is touching it.

The Nod is meant to be worn all day. It is water fully water resistant (up to 170 feet), and can sustain a full day’s charge on battery no larger than your average watch’s.

As for Nod’s applications, it seems most useful in the usual realms that have been making the move towards hands-free or motion-activated user interfaces. Gaming and manipulated music players, as well as a control for business presentations. By using a smartphone as a Bluetooth gateway,Nod can also connect to Wi-Fi devices.

But as Wired points out, some of Nod’s current, demonstrated applications seem less practical. Using it to input text on a Swype keyboard, or adjusting Nest thermostat knob are a few of the odder applications mentioned. Developers can create apps for the device on the Nod API which the company has opened to the public.

Nod will be available this fall and will retail for $150 and should be compatible with a host of different devices, including Android, iOS, Windows, Macs and more.

To read more about Nod, head over to WIRED.