Your wrist seems to be the hottest real estate in the mobile world these days, with a slew of smart watches and wristbands either already available or on the horizon. Supported by a Kickstarter campaign, the $99 LinkMe claims to be the "world's first smart message wristband," but we think a few companies might take issue with that claim, such as Embrace+ and its Smart Bracelet. But what LinkMe does differently is it actually transmits the text of a message to your wrist.
Via Bluetooth 4.0, your smartphone can talk to your elliptically-shaped bracelet, which then displays text via 125 embedded LED lights. Through the Kickstarter project the company hopes to boost the number of LEDs up to 200 for a clearer display. The energy efficient lights should offer at least two weeks of battery life on a single charge. A USB cord and AC adapter come bundled with the band for charging.
You can customize what messages come through, so you're not necessarily reading every incoming email on a tiny screen. But text messages from your wife, safety/weather alerts or DMs via Twitter might make total sense for a device such as this. The company also plans to make this bracelet function as a watch, though the prototype doesn't currently work that way.
Right now, this 3-ounce accessory is only available in silver plastic, but there are plans to release it in gold, platinum, titanium, brushed aluminum or anodized black. It is also anticipated to be waterproof.
The fledgling company is also getting a boost of star power from 50 Cent, according to its Kickstarter page. We'd love to know what advice the rap superstar had for founder Matt Sandy. And we can't wait to get wrists-on time with this Dick Tracy-style device.
