Gadget of the Week – Pins Collective

Published on August 10, 2016

From punks to preppies, politicians to professors, there is one fashion accessory that all cliques and fashionistas can easily agree on: the pin.

The popular little buttons can add a colorful, personalized pop to any bag, coat, or beanie, and now, one Swedish company is bringing the humble badge into the 21st century with – what else? – GIFs.

Swedish company Pins Collective is transforming the cheap yet fashion-forward staple into the next high-tech wearable, complete with a tiny LCD screen that plays a GIF of your choosing, selected from the Collective’s free app for iOS or Android.

Users can design their own animations using an in-app creator; upload their own animations, pictures, and GIFs; or choose from content that other members of the Pins Collective community have created. Just select your design, choose “wear on pin,” and watch as the GIF wirelessly appears on your personal button.

Just imagine the possibilities of an accessory you can update at any time. Going to a baseball game? Change your pin to a “Go Cubs!” message. Headed to a concert right after that? Update the badge with the band’s logo or a wild, psychedelic GIF. Don’t worry about breaking out the pin’s mini-USB charger: The battery lasts 2.5 hours when displaying a GIF, and a whopping 75 hours when displaying a still image.

And with a built-in audience ready for as much novelty and choice as possible, Pins Collective offers endless possibilities for brands, designers, and artists looking to build a fresh following or generate easy PR and merchandise opportunities.

Ready to get started? For now, you’ll have to put a pin it. The wearable is available for pre-order through IndieGoGo, with an expected shipping date of Ferbuary 2017.