I get the irony of reducing screen time when you’re probably reading this article on a smartphone… but let’s just face it. Staring at your phone has become a national pastime of global proportions. Prof. Anna Lembke of Stanford University calls smartphones “the Modern Day Hypodermic Needle” because of how deeply it affects humans without us really noticing or feeling the difference. The problem is a pretty insidious one, given that phones are designed to be addictive. Seeing a notification, hearing a ping, or even glancing at a red dot above the DMs button is enough to spiral us into 2-3 hours of screen time. A lot of apps promise to help reduce your screen time, but none of them do it as well as OVAL – a UFO-shaped ambient light that also doubles as a wireless charging hub for your phone.
Designer: Carles Novell Gallego
Click Here to Buy Now: $366 $489 ($123 off). Hurry, for a limited time only!
Recognizable by its unique UFO-inspired sculptural design that sits on four legs, the OVAL is an ambient lamp and phone charger that helps create healthy long-term habits for individuals and families. The product’s name derives from its oval-shaped semi-transparent ABS outer shell, which houses wireless charging docks and two LED light strips inside.
With a simple tap on the top of the OVAL, one-half of the translucent shell gracefully lifts upwards, revealing the 4 charging docks underneath. Place your phone on the dock and shut the OVAL and it does two things – it charges your phone, while simultaneously preventing you from using it. The theory is simple – when your phone takes a break, so do you. Whether used as a family or in a group setting, the OVAL encourages social interaction and enjoyment of each other’s company without the constant presence of phones. To enforce things at first (because setting habits can be hard), the OVAL locks with a timer too. Set a timer on the OVAL’s Present app and it won’t open until the timer ends… or unless you manually engage the override in case of an emergency.
One Product – Multiple use cases.
Undistracted productivity.
Personal time.
Game nights with friends.
The OVAL’s design takes on a ‘carrot and stick’ approach of getting you to reduce screen time. The carrot or the reward being that your phone gets charged, and the stick being the fact that your device is enveloped in a translucent shell that makes it impossible for you to watch videos or read notifications.
The OVAL comes with four charging docks on the inside, allowing you to simultaneously charge four phones or even your AirPods (thanks to built-in MagSafe functionality). Take a half-an-hour break and that’s enough to significantly charge your device while also giving you 30 minutes of away time from your screen. Do it long enough and it becomes a habit that helps boost your productivity, makes you more mindful, and gives you a chance to really be present for whatever you’re doing or whomever you’re with. The Present app records your away time too, letting you track progress as days go by, and set goals that you can meet at the end of the week or month.
Although the primary function of the OVAL is to foster positive smartphone habits, it also serves as a charming and distinctive ambient lamp. Built into its translucent design are two LED light strips that cast a diffused glow in and around its space. The Present app lets you adjust both the color as well as the brightness of the LEDs, allowing you to set the mood of your room. Even with the lights switched off, the OVAL’s unique decorative design helps add a light mood to your spaces. “The design started with the challenge of merging a technological device with a decorative object to create a new typology of product,” say the makers at L&L Present GmbH. The company’s mission is simple: to create a world where we control technology again and not the other way around.
The OVAL stands at 9.6 inches when shut (or 14.5 inches when open) and comes with a shatter-proof translucent ABS outer housing. A reliable metal tube helps facilitate the opening and closing functionality, and the four chargers inside output 15W for fast-charging your phones. The OVAL ships to the US, EU, UK, Australia, and Canada, and depending on your location, will come with a compatible plug.
Click Here to Buy Now: $366 $489 ($123 off). Hurry, for a limited time only!
