Need to Know

Switzerland – Swiss tech start-up Padrone has launched a Kickstarter for Primera, an AI-powered wearable ring mouse that turns any flat surface into a touchpad.

Weighing only 8g and powered by Padrone’s TipVision technology, the ring’s tiny camera tracks finger movements, letting users click left or right, scroll and more while maintaining ergonomic comfort.

Designed for creatives and tech enthusiasts, it’s compatible with PCs, Macs, tablets and VR headsets, and requires no software installation – just a Bluetooth connection.

Developed over 10 years, this innovation is part of Padrone’s mission to revolutionise digital interaction. Early supporters on Kickstarter gain have access to custom features, including engraving, and free shipping. Physical previews are available in Zürich and Zug or through a live-stream demo. 

From Voice-Activated Wearables to Smart Glasses, we’re tracking the latest technology innovations that matter across key lifestyle sectors in our Technology sector on LS:N Global.

Every Friday, we wrap up the topics, issues, ideas and viral moments everyone’s been discussing. This week, deputy foresight editor Dan Hastings delves into the results of the US election and the critical lessons to be learned.

: Who is to blame for Donald Trump’s victory in this pivotal US election? In the aftermath, we’re quick to assign blame: in my algorithmic bubble, we’re debating whether it’s the fault of white men, white women or Latinx voters. But perhaps we’re looking in the wrong direction: what led these voters to support Trump? In my view, no force is stronger than the right combination of hatred, ignorance and lies. No amount of fact-checking, media literacy or rational campaigning can outmanoeuvre a system that rewards voter provocation and fear-mongering.

: Women in the US are among the biggest losers of this election. They face not only the potential erosion of agency over their own bodies but also the indignity of seeing the most qualified candidate lose to a convicted felon and reality tv host. The fact that 60% of white men, 55% of Latino men and 21% of Black men voted for Trump (source: NBC News Exit Polls) reminds me of how men’s love for their partners, mothers, sisters and daughters often depends on these women remaining in submissive roles. That’s not love; it’s ownership – a desire to control those expected to provide care, support and affection without reciprocation.

: Gen Z men’s voting patterns were particularly disconcerting. It would be easy to blame figures such as Joe Rogan, Elon Musk and Andrew Tate for their radicalisation, but we forget that they are men first, regardless of age. Loneliness, social media addiction and incel culture – all unrestrained by algorithms – have deepened divides between young men and women globally. In South Korea, for instance, women have launched the 4B movement (standing for ‘four nos’). To protect themselves, they are committing to no sex with men, no childbirth, no dating men and no marriage with men.

: But as Kamala Harris said, ‘Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is, don’t ever give up.’ Amid the setbacks, there are victories: Sarah McBride was appointed as the first openly transgender state senator in Delaware; Andy Kim is set to become the first Korean American in the Senate; Angela Alsobrooks is now Maryland’s first Black senator and only the fourth Black woman ever elected to the US Senate.