This Wooden Gadget Is the Anti-Smartphone
Are you still seeing gold after Apple’s new Mac/Watch announcement on Monday? Us too. But there’s a new gadget that may have you seeing wood instead. It’s called the Runcible Heirloom, and it is set to replace our smartphones in a way that will help us focus on real life, while still allowing us to remain connected to all of our gadgets.
From Runcible’s high-res circular screen, you can make calls or use it as a camera. It can help you connect and simplify your other gadgets, acting as a mediator for your growing use of the Internet of Things (looking at you Nest and Avea). What makes this device so versatile is how it runs from the Open Web, meaning it can detect and connect easily across all platforms since it’s not formatted to only one. It can speak to all of your devices in all of their different languages!
The round design was inspired by watches, but not Apple Watches. We’re talking centuries-old pocket watches. It’s just over three inches across, making it perfectly palm-sized. And the round screen ventures way beyond what we’ve seen in round screens on smart watches. For example, if you’re looking at a picture on the device, you can rotate the actual gadget to zoom in or out, just like with a lens on an actual camera.
Now how is Runcible going to live long enough to earn its “heirloom” title? As new technology hits the market, you won’t have to replace your entire gadget, but instead, just its insides. Runcible will offer updates to the interior hardware which can be accessed with a simple twist. The creators want this thing to outlive you and be passed down through your family. They said, “We are creating an heirloom for the future.” It’s all part of a 100-year plan to help us disconnect from our devices a little more and spend time laughing IRL rather than in LOL.
While it will keep you connected, this gadget won’t send you alerts or interrupt your daily life. Unlike your smartphone, it doesn’t need babysitting or notification checking. It’s just there when you need it.
Despite how futuristic this all seems, the Runcible Heirloom is expected to hit the market later this year, and the creators have confirmed that the price will be comparable to unlocked smartphones. With the interface kept under wraps, it’s hard for us to wrap our heads around the full potential of this thing, but we can’t wait to check it out before 2016.
Would you buy another gadget if it didn’t distract you from your life? Leave your opinions in the comments!
(h/t Cool Hunting)
