Swap Personal Details with the Information Ring

Another ring on Thoughts from the Sidelines? One could be forgiven for thinking that I am suffering from somewhat of an obsession with hand jewellery. Be that as it may, it would appear that rings are very much the focus of designers at the moment and the Information Ring is another fascinating concept that brings a new level of functionality to this (let’s be honest here) otherwise mundane piece of bodily adornment.

They say first impressions count and that many a judgment is made on a handshake and, with the Information Ring you can be sure that you make a lasting impression.

Created by the designer Hideaki Matsui, the Information Ring will exchange an electronic business card between other Information Rings when in close proximity – such as during a handshake – so the information can be stored and retrieved by the wearer at a later, more convenient time (a time when the wearer may otherwise have forgotten your name completely).

Powered by the heat generated by your own skin, hence not requiring cumbersome batteries, once electronic business cards have been exchanged remotely via a simple handshake the ring can be inserted into a display card that will then offer a full, virtual representation of the transferred data that can either just be viewed or stored.

A fascinating concept, though it does presuppose that the other person is also wearing an Information Ring for the concept to work which could, in all honesty, be the concepts downfall – which is a shame.