Smart Rings On The Rise, Lush Closes Social Media, Disney + To Launch Late 2019, Playstation Finally Allow Name Change!

Are smart rings finally ready to hit the market and stay?

“If you like it then you should have put a ring on it”

Now, put your hands up if you love the idea of paying for your groceries through a finger accessory. The development of smart rings seems to have gone under the mainstream radar over the past few years but that's not to say they should be overlooked. Recently, a few tech companies have emerged in the market and have brought to life smart rings that look fashionable, yet full of all the relevant tech fitted into the small devices.

Brands have began to build momentum in the market as they have overcome previous barriers such as design issues, funding problems and tech challenges.

The tech company Oura have found a way to overcome the failures of previous brands and created a well structured smart ring. Their elegant device is fitted with relevant sensors, a bigger battery and finished with a titanium, diamond like coating. It has the capabilities of including features such as a NFC chip, a heart rate monitor and a accelerometer. Most modern day rings are able to connect to a smartphone via bluetooth. These features are a great and accurate way of tracking sleep, pulse rates and much more. Could this finally be a real competitor to the smart watch?

Lush closes its social channels

After struggling to break through the noise, Lush UK have called it a day on their social channels, for now. The quirky cosmetics chain made the decision to close down their multiple social media accounts this Monday as they were “tired of fighting with algorithms”.

“We’re switching up social.”

This is a major stance against the fight to beat the average 2% reach the likes of Facebook and Instagram have within their algorithms. With 1.2million followers across its major social media channels, Lush have requested their followers to call, email or message via website as a online point of contact. Despite the initial shock of their account closures, this may be a great way to flood their organic reach through direct mail and dramatically increase traffic through to their website.

Lush told its followers the following:

“Increasingly, social media is making it harder for us to talk to each other directly. We are tired of fighting with algorithms, and we do not want to pay to appear in your newsfeed. So we’ve decided it's time to bid farewell to some of our social channels and open up the conversation between you and us instead.”

Disney + Could Be A Real Competitor For Netflix

Another company that have grown in frustration with not having control of its content is Disney. After pulling its shows and movies from Netflix, Disney Plus is set to launch late 2019.

Similar to the format of Netflix, there will a library made up of Disney’s own films and TV shows. It will also include original content based on its main players, such as Star Wars and Marvel.

If like most of us, you're a Disney lover, get ready to add yet another subscription to your list of monthly entertainment bills. The creative brand has priced its streaming platform considerably lower than its competitors Netflix, at around £5.99. No surprise to many as there will be a noticeable difference in the amount of content found on its store compared to Netflix.

If you’re still not completely convinced, we found out that Disney + will offer adaptations of its blockbusters. A Marvel “What If” comic book series is just one example that will excite the superhero lovers amongst you. If fighting good against evil isn't your thing, then there will be a Monsters Inc expansion show called “Monsters At Work”. Could this include a grown up version of ‘Boo’? We can’t wait to find out.

Online ID Change on PSN: Your Questions Answered

Still stuck with an embarrassing year 7 PSN tag? Well, it's taken a fair amount of time, but Playstation has finally answered your prayers. You can now leave that name in the school year book and change it!

Sony’s Social Media Director, Sid Shuman, had this to say Monday 8th April:

"We're excited to announce that the online ID change feature on PSN is officially launching to all PlayStation 4 owners later today. You'll also be able to change your online ID via a web browser, and that feature will also be available starting today."

To edit your Online ID simply go to the settings tab > account management > account information > profile > online ID.