From lifestyle monitors to UV detectors, recently we have seen an array of connected wristbands emerge to serve a variety of purposes. In a similar vein, the Haloband is designed to put the convenience of technology within arms reach, but does so by extending the functionality of a smartphone to your wrist.
The device uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and a companion app through which users can control their smartphones by tapping them with different parts of the band. The company used surgical-grade silicone to house three units each comprising a chip, an antenna coil, PET substrate, adhesive and backing paper at separate points around the band, dividing it into three sections (A, B and the CloudZone).
Using the app, the device is able to be customized by assigning different move sets to various smartphone functions. For example, "Tap A + B" can be set to pause music playback, or "Tap A x 2" can be set to turn on the flashlight. The company says the functions of the Haloband are only limited to that of your phone, provided of course it is NFC-capable.
With sections A and B to be used to control the smartphone, the CloudZone is intended, as the name suggests, to work as a cloud service dedicated to identity authentication and information exchange. The company says this is currently being refined and it plans on opening up the Application Programming Interface (API) to developers in anticipation of products and services, such as smart keys and cloud payments.
According to the company, the Haloband is waterproof and does not require a separate battery, nor will it drain the battery of your smartphone. It will come in black, purple, red, yellow, green, blue and white, and in five sizes measuring between 16 cm (6.3 in) and 22 cm (8.7 in). The weight will vary in accordance with its size, anywhere between 10 g (0.35 oz) and 15 g (0.5 oz).
The device is compatible with Android NFC phones and tablets (no iOS support, yet) and is the subject of a Kickstarter campaign due to draw to a close on January 16. At the time of writing, $US25 pledges are available with shipping estimated for February 2014.
The rise of mobile has given me so much: 24/7 connections with friends around the world, information exactly when I need it, the ability to track my fitness and health goals. Unfortunately, it’s also given me a complex about my giant sausage fingers and their constant inability to navigate the tiny keys on my smartphone’s slippery touchscreen. Sometimes I think I should have just bought a BlackBerry.
When I read about Haloband on their Kickstarter page, I felt like the Shanghai-based startup was speaking directly to me: “Everyone has trouble in locking and unlocking smartphones. The frequency usually hurts phones’ screen and keys, as well as our hearts. So we decided it’s time to do something.”
Haloband is a silicone wristband embedded with an NFC chip and lets you operate your choice of functions by tapping your Android smartphone on your wrist. It’s also linked to a cloud account, which means you can save your ID as well as information to share with other mobile devices. After setting up your wristband with the Haloband app, you can use it to unlock your phone, take photos or send emergency alerts, among other options.
For those of you who think Haloband is pointless (and I’ve seen a few comments saying that), the wristband can be helpful for people with repetitive stress injuries and other issues with their hands. I have RSI that affects my wrists and thumbs, and I can see some of Haloband’s functions making my smartphone use a little easier when I have a flare-up of pain.
It looks like there are plenty of people who agree with me about its usefulness–the project has already raised almost double its $10,000 goal on Kickstarter and its early bird specials are closed, but you can still select from several options, starting from just $25 for a black or white Haloband. Funding closes on Jan. 16 and the bands are scheduled to ship in February.
Haloband was developed by a Shanghai-based team that includes a former Intel engineer and focuses on NFC technology. They plan to release an open API so other developers can create their own Haloband apps and help smartphone users wrist easy (rimshot).
The device uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and a companion app through which users can control their smartphones by tapping them with different parts of the band. The company used surgical-grade silicone to house three units each comprising a chip, an antenna coil, PET substrate, adhesive and backing paper at separate points around the band, dividing it into three sections (A, B and the CloudZone).
Using the app, the device is able to be customized by assigning different move sets to various smartphone functions. For example, "Tap A + B" can be set to pause music playback, or "Tap A x 2" can be set to turn on the flashlight. The company says the functions of the Haloband are only limited to that of your phone, provided of course it is NFC-capable.
With sections A and B to be used to control the smartphone, the CloudZone is intended, as the name suggests, to work as a cloud service dedicated to identity authentication and information exchange. The company says this is currently being refined and it plans on opening up the Application Programming Interface (API) to developers in anticipation of products and services, such as smart keys and cloud payments.
According to the company, the Haloband is waterproof and does not require a separate battery, nor will it drain the battery of your smartphone. It will come in black, purple, red, yellow, green, blue and white, and in five sizes measuring between 16 cm (6.3 in) and 22 cm (8.7 in). The weight will vary in accordance with its size, anywhere between 10 g (0.35 oz) and 15 g (0.5 oz).
The device is compatible with Android NFC phones and tablets (no iOS support, yet) and is the subject of a Kickstarter campaign due to draw to a close on January 16. At the time of writing, $US25 pledges are available with shipping estimated for February 2014.
The rise of mobile has given me so much: 24/7 connections with friends around the world, information exactly when I need it, the ability to track my fitness and health goals. Unfortunately, it’s also given me a complex about my giant sausage fingers and their constant inability to navigate the tiny keys on my smartphone’s slippery touchscreen. Sometimes I think I should have just bought a BlackBerry.
When I read about Haloband on their Kickstarter page, I felt like the Shanghai-based startup was speaking directly to me: “Everyone has trouble in locking and unlocking smartphones. The frequency usually hurts phones’ screen and keys, as well as our hearts. So we decided it’s time to do something.”
Haloband is a silicone wristband embedded with an NFC chip and lets you operate your choice of functions by tapping your Android smartphone on your wrist. It’s also linked to a cloud account, which means you can save your ID as well as information to share with other mobile devices. After setting up your wristband with the Haloband app, you can use it to unlock your phone, take photos or send emergency alerts, among other options.
For those of you who think Haloband is pointless (and I’ve seen a few comments saying that), the wristband can be helpful for people with repetitive stress injuries and other issues with their hands. I have RSI that affects my wrists and thumbs, and I can see some of Haloband’s functions making my smartphone use a little easier when I have a flare-up of pain.
It looks like there are plenty of people who agree with me about its usefulness–the project has already raised almost double its $10,000 goal on Kickstarter and its early bird specials are closed, but you can still select from several options, starting from just $25 for a black or white Haloband. Funding closes on Jan. 16 and the bands are scheduled to ship in February.
Haloband was developed by a Shanghai-based team that includes a former Intel engineer and focuses on NFC technology. They plan to release an open API so other developers can create their own Haloband apps and help smartphone users wrist easy (rimshot).
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