The Vive bracelet monitors your dehydration and alcohol levels while you’re out on the town. If it works well, then I can see this being a valuable asset. We’ve all got friends who have no idea how to self-regulate. Certain staffers here tend to reach this point suddenly, viscously and always while wearing a red beanie. I’m sure he or she would be a lot less likely to end up with a bouncer on their back or with a twisted ankle if they only had a Vive…
But here’s a couple problems I see with taking this bracelet from prototype to popular product. Does it seem safe to digitally link people based on a simple handshake? And won’t girls feel pressured to give away their contact info more to avoid awkwardness or appearing rude? I think we may be opening a huge can of stalker worms. What is keeping someone from moseying up on the dance floor and stealing someone’s contact information? The honor system?
Another issue I have is with the “safety squeeze” as only I have come to call it. A girl can squeeze a wristbands by reflex or it can be squeezed for her, nullyfing any true value in the gesture. This latter fact is an obvious problem, as the gentleman talking to her in the video also has a wristband and would know that a simple bracelet squeeze tells her friends to stay away. In the scenario Vive presents, in which the Vive bracelet is handed out to everyone at an event, all its safety features are easily exploitable by anyone with a basic understanding of the bracelet and nefaroius intentions.
Overall, while I think having a bracelet to help police your night out may be a good concept, I don’t see the Vive bracelet being quite ready to work in a real world environment.
PS How are these girls possibly old enough to drink?
PPS The guy in the baseball raglan shirt does not come out looking good at all.
