Quirky wearables

From watches and rings that can connect remotely with your phone, there are some quirky and cool wearable concepts out there

If you're still salivating over Apple's Watch, wait till you hear what else is in store in the field of wearables. After trawling crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo and taking a peek at the research of a few tech biggies, we've come across some quirky wearable concepts that we could sport in the near future. Agreed, these products might not be as cool as Apple's Watch, but there's no denying their quirky quotient.

Almost a watch
If you're reading this, you most likely would like to own a smartwatch, if you don't own one already. At the same time, you might not want to give up your Rolex for a chunky plastic contraption. To get the best of both worlds, there is an accessory called Glance that one can just slip on to one's watch band (of course, one could wear it with any kind of bracelet as well, as also with the supplied leather band).

According to the product's Kickstarter page, one can see who's calling, read text messages and even respond with preset messages such as "I'm driving, will call you back shortly" with the press of a button. The accessory (which, according to the page, is currently available for Android and iOS devices) also locates your missing phone with the press of a button and filter calls by adding numbers to a spam list.

The device can also be used as an air mouse for computers and as a controller for a smart TV, according to the page. And yes, the device also tracks activity levels (like a health band), comes in three sizes and is waterproof to boot, the page says.

Rings

Of all the wearable accessories we came across, this category seems the hottest, going by the varied products on offer. Some, like the Smarty Ring, connect to the phone over Bluetooth and display phone alerts (as well as a clock) on their tiny blue or green LED screen and remotely control and track your phone (and sound an alert if the distance between you and your phone is more than 30m).

According to Smarty Ring's Indiegogo page, the device (made of surgical quality stainless steel) will cost $275, is waterproof and comes in ring sizes 5 to 15, with a battery life of 24 hours on a single charge (it charges wirelessly). Another such device is MOTA's SmartRing, which was unveiled at the IFA in Berlin this year.

Then there are rings that emulate a mouse (some like the ThumbTrack call itself the "world's smallest wearable mouse" on its Indiegogo page), while there are others which bring touch capability to non-touch devices.

Pet accessory

This device was shown at the Freescale Technology Forum in Bangalore a few weeks ago. The concept, called Smart Dog Tracker, connects to your device via Bluetooth while your dog wears it on its collar. The accessory keeps an eye on your dog's activities such as playing, sleeping and walking, according to the company. We were surprised, but feel this will find many takers.

Fashion bracelet
At this year's CES, Intel had announced it was planning to develop a feminine fashion accessory along with Opening Ceremony. Called My Intelligent Communication Accessory, or MICA, the device "enables women to stay connected via SMS, meeting alerts, and general notifications delivered directly to the wrist," an Intel release said, promising to reveal further functionalities later.

MICA, the release added, will be available in two styles: one, with black watersnake skin, pearls from China, and lapis stones from Madagascar, and the other with white watersnake skin, tiger's eye from South Africa, and obsidian from Russia. And yes, the curved touchscreen display will be made of sapphire glass, just like Apple's Watch.