Bracelet-mounted LED display product launched

In recent months, there has been much speculation about whether the next big technological craze will be for smart watches. Both Apple and Google are thought to be working on their own wristwear, effectively allowing users to synch their watch with their smartphone, to get updates and info in real time without needing to pull it out of their pockets.

However, there are already smart watches on the market from smaller manufacturers and a new alternative to this craze has recently been revealed.

LinkMe is a smart bracelet with a built-in LED display, which can showcase text and is intended to be tethered to a smartphone via Bluetooth.

When a user gets a text message or social media update, it will be beamed to the LinkMe and pop up on the LED display. The entirety of the bracelet's outer surface is dedicated to the screen, with text scrolling around it, thanks to the intelligent and visually stimulating application of LED technology.

TechCrunch reports that, at the moment, the LinkMe project is actually seeking crowd-sourced funding from the Kickstarter website and is hoping to secure $100,000 ((65,000) by early May, with backers able to buy the finished product for $99 ((65).

What sets LinkMe apart from the smart watch crowd, apart from its use of an LED display, is the fact that the design of the prototype models shown in press shots is clearly so impressive.

Most smart watches are relatively clunky in appearance, largely because they need to squeeze in quite a lot of hardware. But the slimline design of the LinkMe, means that it should sit comfortably and unobtrusively on the wearer while still looking good.

Peripherals that augment smartphone functionality are growing in popularity, so it will be interesting to see whether this gadget gets off the ground.