This article was published on June 22, 2011

Rymble brings social media to life via a ‘Living, emotional Internet object’


Rymble brings social media to life via a ‘Living, emotional Internet object’

An intriguing new gadget called the Rymble has been announced today, aiming to bring the social Web a little closer to the physical world.

Billed as a ‘Living Internet object,’ it’s designed to mirror what happens in your online social life through movements and sounds that reflect updates such as ‘Likes’, messages and friend requests.

In the words of the team behind the device, “(Rymble) is a “social compass” that, instead of pointing to the north, moves in different directions as news and alerts happen in the user’s social network, in the web page of a company, artist, sports team or any other subject.”

Initially just supporting Facebook, with Twitter to follow, the device connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi. Rymble will change shape, light up in different colours and make noises based of social activity on the Facebook account or page that it’s hooked up to.

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The physical appearance of the device can be altered via changeable ‘skins’, and Symplio, the Spanish startup behind it, hopes to cultivate a community of designers creating new looks for Rymble. It hopes to get brands on board with their own skins, too.

While it might sound like a bit of a novelty, the concept might have legs – at least as this year’s Christmas gift for the Internet addict who has everything; kind of like a Furby for the Facebook generation. Rymble isn’t yet available to buy, but you can read more about it here.

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