Core Devices, the company known for carrying forward the Pebble legacy, has introduced Index 01 — an AI-powered smart ring designed to act as a personal idea and reminder recorder. Priced at $75, the device allows users to capture voice thoughts and convert them into notes, reminders, or calendar entries, with no subscriptions required and no need for an internet connection.
The ring is worn on the index finger and features a thumb-activated button, enabling quick and discreet recording while on the move. The goal is to let users capture ideas the moment they arise, without pulling out a phone or interrupting what they are currently doing.
Recordings are synchronized with a smartphone, where a local LLM processes the audio and converts speech to text using an open-source speech recognition system. The entire workflow runs on-device, emphasizing privacy and independence from cloud-based services.
Index 01 also stands out for its practicality — it does not require recharging, with batteries lasting up to two years under normal use. The ring can record up to five minutes of continuous audio, which is more than sufficient for quick ideas, reminders, or short notes.
After devices like the Humane Pin and Rabbit R1 struggled in their attempts to replace smartphones, Index 01 takes a far more focused approach. Rather than making broad promises, this AI ring targets a single, well-defined problem and aims to solve it reliably — potentially signaling greater market demand for simple, purpose-built AI tools over large, all-in-one devices.
In Brief: Tech World Highlights
- MIT enhanced the power of biohybrid robots by combining lab-grown muscles with hydrogel “artificial tendons” and integrating the muscle–tendon module into the fingers of a robotic gripper.
- Uber and Avride launched a commercial robotaxi service in Dallas, where some Uber rides now arrive in Avride-branded vehicles with safety drivers operating in a limited area.
- Beeple’s latest installation, Regular Animals, drew attention at Art Basel Miami Beach with a surreal display of robotic dogs modeled after powerful figures in the tech industry.
- Pudu Robotics launched the Pudu D5 Series, a new “industrial” line of quadruped robots designed for complex industrial and outdoor environments.
- Zurich-based startup Flexion Robotics raised $50 million in a Series A round to build a general-purpose autonomous software stack for humanoid robots.
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