Ringly: Bluetooth bling for smartphone users

Ringly Bluetooth ring

(Relaxnews) - Ringly is a wearable tech device with a difference -- it's a piece of jewelry first and foremost, albeit one with sufficient smarts to let the wearer know when there's an incoming call, text message or other alert.

The company behind it, also called Ringly, created it so that women with busy social and professional lives don’t waste precious time trying to dig their phone out of their handbag every time it makes any sort of noise.

Instead, the Ringly ring, which is 18 karat gold plated and features a semi-precious stone, connects to the handset wirelessly via Bluetooth. When there's an incoming call or other alert, the Ringly discreetly vibrates or glows and of course, there’s an app for both iOS and Android that can be used to set the length of time the ring buzzes or glows based on the type of alert or who exactly is getting in touch.

"Our goal is to create products that are both stylish and useful, that women will be proud to wear," says Ringly co-founder and CEO Christina Mercando. "We believe that the future of wearables is in building discreet technology that integrates seamlessly into your life and makes your day-to-day easier. The more I use my Ringly, the more it’s like a personal assistant telling me what to do — plus there’s something so fun about having my jewelry talk to me!"

As well as calls, texts, email and calendars, the app already supports notifications for Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Vine, LinkedIn and Tinder among others, and further integration will come as the app and the product develop.

Ringly is taking the unusual step of crowdfunding the device via its own website and hopes to raise $60,000 via pre-orders. If it hits its target, then the first Ringly rings will be on the fingers of their first owners this Autumn.

The first four Ringlys will be offered in sizes 6, 7 and 8 with a choice of black onyx, rainbow moonstone, pink sapphire, and emerald stone and for a limited time only will cost $145 rather than $195.

To get the crowdfunding campaign up and running, as well as a reduced price, the first 1000 rings pre-ordered will also feature a real diamond embedded in the side.