Slashdot Mirror
The Internet of Things Just Found Your Lost Wallet
Nerval's Lobster writes Ever forgotten your wallet in a coffee shop or restaurant? Now there's a way to ensure it'll never happen again: Woolet, which its creators bill as a "smart wallet." It features a rechargeable battery, Bluetooth support, and the ability to synchronize with a smartphone app; if you walk 20-85 feet away from your wallet, the app will make a sound and guide you back to it. The platform's being financed on Kickstarter, and attracted attention from TechCrunch and some other places, but it begs the question: is this yet another example of connected devices run amok—shiny and interesting as a concept but not nearly useful enough for the population at large? What would it take for a connected device, whether a wallet or a smoke detector, to gain mass appeal?
Internet of Things and a Kickstarter Slashvertisement combined. For the nitpicky, we can even debate the proper use of "begs the question". All it really needs is something about 3D printing and some angle about getting more women into technology, and it would be perfect. Something for everyone!
Also... wait, did they just describe this as a "platform"? People are going to write apps for this or something?
Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
I already can't leave the house without charging my Bluetooth headset, my Fitbit, my iPhone, my iPad, my Kindle, my iPod, my MacBook, and my iWatch. Now I'll need to charge my wallet.