CREATIVEPOOL #TechTuesday: Smart doorbells, the levitating cloud speaker and a 25 year old lightbulb

Published by Creativepool, Benjamin Hiorns, Tue 11 October 2016

The Ding smart doorbell launches on Kickstarter

How many times have you missed the doorbell because you were either out of earshot or otherwise indisposed? And how many times have you wished you could simply tell that nuisance caller to jog on without having to leave the comfort of your favourite armchair? If the answer to that question is; “More times than I can count,” as it is for me, then the Ding smart doorbell could very well be your saviour. OK, that's probably giving it a little too much credit, but it is a pretty neat gadget. It's a simple, elegant solution to a problem many of us are probably not even aware we have. The Ding takes the form of a conventional Ding button that sits on the outside of your home and a Chime box that sits in your home and makes the doorbell sound. What really sets it apart, however, is how the system links to your smartphone. Users are able to converse with their callers through a bespoke app and a small microphone embedded in the button itself and suss out whether or not they are worthy of their time without having to move a muscle. When away from the home, users will also never miss important packages, giving them the option to rearrange delivery or remotely guide couriers to a safe place. Parents can even configure Ding to turn the chime off and instead receive quieter calls so as to not wake sleeping children.

 “We have a list of many more ideas and want to apply this same thinking to other forgotten products to make lives easier and more convenient” 

Avril O’Neil, Creative Director at Ding

Besides being undeniably convenient, the Ding is also a small, beautiful and contemporary device, having been created with the expert help of the Map Project Office design consultancy. The Chime is finished with high quality fabric and can be wall-mounted or conveniently placed on any flat surface and the Button is slim enough to fit on most door frames with a simple ‘click in’ installation. Both come in various colour options to complement most homes and tastes. It's also already been endorsed by leading UK retailer John Lewis, The Design Council and Makerversity, so Ding are in good company prior to launching their Kickstarter campaign to raise $50,000 to take the project into production. The Ding Smart Doorbell is available for preorder now via Kickstarter, with a campaign running through to 10 November, 2016. Special Kickstarter pricing begins at $99 (around £80) with a premium version to be announced during the campaign. The estimated retail price will be $159 (around £130) with the product set to arrive in August 2017. Bargain!

We have now rebranded to Ome, read all about our rebranding journey here.