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This brilliant ‘smart shoe’ accessory will let you call Uber just by clicking your heels

Published Oct 21st, 2014 9:15PM EDT
Coolest Wearable Computers Dorothy
Image: iStrategyLabs

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When you were a kid, did you ever imagine what it would be like to be Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz? While you’ll likely never get swept away by a tornado and whisked away to an enchanted kingdom, a clever new accessory will let you find your way home just by clicking your heels.

RELATED: Forget the Apple Watch — this red-hot ‘smart shoe’ is the only wearable computer you need

Dorothy, a new accessory developed by iStrategyLabs, gets embedded in your shoe and can perform several actions when you click your heels together, including sending a text message to your friends and placing a call to Uber.

“Dorothy consists of the ‘Ruby’ (a small connected device that slips into your shoe) and a mobile App that allows you to trigger a call to your phone from a fake contact (your ‘boss’) whenever you tap your heels together 3 times,” iStrategyLabs explains. “Dorothy can also send text messages to your contacts with a custom message and your current location, letting them know exactly where you are. Soon, we’ll be working toward summoning an Uber.”

Sadly, you won’t be able to buy this clever new device just yet because it’s only a prototype at the moment. iStrategy Labs says that it’s working on making the device much smaller for any future commercial release, however, so don’t dismiss Dorothy if you think it looks too bulky to wear comfortably in your shoe right now.

A full video showing off Dorothy in action follows below.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.