Want people to put down their phone more often? Ransomly creates 'quiet' spaces to help us reconnect with the real people in our lives.
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97
backers
$8,048
This project will be funded on .
About this project
Create a distraction-free space that facilitates connection.
In today’s “always on” world, we need more than four physical walls to create a safe, quiet space to connect. We now need digital walls too. That's why we created Ransomly, a bluetooth beacon and app that blocks apps in any room – whether at home, school, the office or car.
How the beacon works
Bluetooth Beacons
When you have the Ransomly app installed on your Android phone and you are in range of a Ransomly Beacon, the home screen will be locked. It's perfect for dining rooms, bedrooms, classrooms or wherever you want to create a space to connect with those around you. When your IOS phone enters into range, it will receive a notification to put away your phone. We are collaborating with an established beacon manufacturer to ensure our hardware is reliable.
More Beacon Specs
- Battery powered with 2 year lifetime
- iBeacon™ compliant
- Adjustable range up to 70m
A quick demo of the beacon shot in my apartment with my lovely fiancé:
Hold your friends' apps for 'ransom' with the Ransomly app.
In addition to creating cellphone-free spaces, the Ransomly app allows you to limit or restrict your friend/ family-member/ or employee's apps by sending a personalized "ransom" note. For example, you can block your boyfriend's/girlfriend's Instagram until the dishes are cleared from the kitchen sink. Or you can prevent your son/daughter from accessing Facebook or Snapchat until they do their homework. The possibilities are endless!
Help us put an end to "phubbing"
What we need and what you get:
Everyone on the team really wants Ransomly in their home so we are going to build this thing no matter what. And we are far along in the process: we have begun beta testing. But we still need your support.
Other Ways You Can Help:
If you believe in our mission to create more connection is worthy, please pick up a beacon, t-shirt, or bracelet. We want to protect spaces from distraction all over the world.
- Share this campaign, join us on Facebook or sign up for the Ransomly newsletter
- Pick up one of our "disconnect to connect" bracelets. Wear it as a reminder to unplug daily.
- Even if you don't intend to use it, you can pick up a Ransomly Beacon as a visual reminder to unplug.
In the news
We are excited to see this idea is being picked up!
Risks and challenges
I have been developing software that promotes well-being ever since completing graduate work in applied psychology at UPenn (GratitudeBucket.com, NudgeKick.com).
The team has past experience with the Internet of Things with emberlight.co and blocking software with NudgeKick.com so we do not expect any major hurdles.
Our only concern involve expectations. Backers may buy our beacon with IOS phones thinking it will behave like the Android version. So we want to take the time here to use as another reminder: app blocking will only occur on Android. The IOS version will send you notification to unplug when you enter the range of the Ransomly beacon.
Also, in general, bluetooth signals are picked up intermittently by a phone. This results in our users having brief, random intervals of access to home screen even while in range of the beacon. Though the phone is not always locked when in range of a beacon, we find that access is restricted so often as to make the phone virtually unusable.
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