The latest in wearable tech is more seamlessly integrated into your lifestyle than ever before. No gadgets, no glasses (even if they do look kind of cool now), just a ring—Fin. Slip it on your thumb, and it turns your palm into a touchscreen interface that can control multiple smart devices with the smallest of gestures.
Tap your thumb to your forefinger to snap a selfie with your digital camera while it’s level on a tripod. Slide your thumb from the tip of your pointer finger to your knuckle to turn up the volume on your car stereo. Or swipe your thumb across your four outstretched fingers to power on your television. So cool.
It works like this: the ring’s embedded sensors detect gestures your thumb makes on your hand, like simple taps and swipes, which function as commands. Fin then sends those commands via Bluetooth to your connected device.
While it’s not the first of its kind, Fin is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest in terms of design and compatibility. The coiled shape is contoured for comfort—don’t worry, you’ll only have to take it off once a month to recharge it—and comes in three bright colors, plus white and black. It’s small, but powerful: it can control up to three smart devices at a time—you can easily switch from your TV to your iPod to your car with pre-programmed commands, or you can customize your own gestures.
For a $99 donation to its indiegogo campaign, you can get a “Smart Version” Fin as soon as September. With 16 days left, Fin is less than a quarter of the ways away from obtaining its $100,000 goal—though whatever funding it does have when the clock strikes midnight will be used to help the product “go global.” Could you imagine a future when gestures less demanding than typing were used to control everything from updating Twitter to turning on the lights at the Olympics opening ceremony? And you thought The Clapper was cool!
What piece of wearable tech has you jazzed? Tell us about it in the comments below.
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.