But first, a message from Nostalgia…
Over 30 years ago I got my first digital watch. This was a big deal at the time, they were still relatively new, They were all the rage and everyone, nerd and commoner alike, had to have one, kind of like the iPhone or GPS in 2008.
Owning a digital watch lead to all sorts of day dreams ranging from two way wrist TVs ala Dick Tracey to wrist computers. But this being the 70s, and the peak of nutty Amerikan fads, I kept thinking about an LCD mood watch. My daydream watch would tell people in plain English how I felt, and would be readable in broad daylight. I never could figure out a goof proof mechanism to make it read my mood, since even now most bio sensors aren’t good enough to tell pissed off from horny (and PETs don’t fit into a watch case-yet-but they would let you read other peoples moods). So like most daydreams it faded.
Which brings us the the present. Internet time, and internet culture. The broken watch on my wrist has hands, most people wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a digital watch. And we have new ways to express our emotions, especially online: emoticons. They were invented to remove ambiguity in email text, and have since spread to IM, the Web and Twitter. They let readers know when your joking, playfull, angry or pissed off. We all know the basic emoticons, right 
Former Pilsen resident, international man of mystery and one time chewtoy of the gods, John Unger (and company) have produced something akin to my old day dream, but melded to contemporary style and culture. The Emoodicon ring. It’s an emoticon mood ring. First off, it’s a nifty stainless steal ring with a removable bezel, instead of an impractical LCD screen. Secondly, you replace the Emoodicons by hand, removing the need for complex invasive biosensors and batteries. Fourthly, you choose the message you share with the world, so you can put a smiley face on it even if your crying inside, or vice versa if your Goth. Fifthly, it’s cute: there are two sets of Emoodicons currently available, Kitteh and Bleep each a cute graphical interpretation of a emoticon with kitten or robot theme respectively. Finally, it’ll get you noticed by glitterati and technorati alike, and not in a “Who’s the nerd with all the wires hanging off his wrist” way. They’re even having a contest to design the next set of Emoodicons, and I believe plans are afoot for a blank set. It’s the 21st century, and it fits the post modern, post ironic lifestyle perfectly. Unless your an aging boomer nerd who wants a wrist mounted positron emission tomography unit to read your friends moods (and minds). So go check it out.
