Like the Gremlins, one day there was nothing and then suddenly they were everywhere. No it’s not a vermin infestation, it’s the fidget spinner craze that seems to have popped up out of nowhere. Now normally Stuff wouldn’t be anywhere near something like this but someone’s gone and decided to add Bluetooth to one of these pointless rotating toys. So…
Meet the BlueSpin.
The BlueSpin is just a plain old fidget spinner, of the sort you might have seen in stores, available online, or at traffic intersections, except that it’s smarter than your average handful of ball bearings. It’s packing some of the same sorts of smarts you’ll find in a smartphone, up to and including a Bluetooth LE connection.
Why Bluetooth? Because the BlueSpin wants to connect to your phone and given you feedback on your fidget spinning skills, basically playing out like a very tactile AR (augmented reality) game. The embedded sensors offer the app feedback, like position and rotational speed, how you’re holding it, and so on, and assign a score based on your skilful manipulations. Plus, social features, leaderboards, score sharing, messaging, and other bits and bobs will be included in the app.
The spinner is, of course, battery powered but the creators claim that the battery will last up to a year — which should be more than enough time for this trend to fizzle out. Still, if you’re keen on nabbing your own then there’s a crowdfunding campaign starting soon.
Soon, we said. The IndieGoGo campaign isn’t live yet but it will be kicking off in July. The creators are looking for $20,000, while a buy-in of $49 (R640) will get you your very own BlueSpin.
Source: IndieGoGo
