Gadgets to help kick your smartphone habit

Living in the moment can feel impossible when we’re surrounded by technology. Now, Royal College of Art graduate Matteo Bandi has designed a clutch of gadgets to help. It might sound counterintuitive, but these devices only work when plugged into a smartphone. When users try to engage with the phone? They cut out.

Formed of a speaker, alarm clock, projector and a lamp, the project – Sidekicks – was sparked when Bandi realised he was spending too much time on his phone. Currently at concept stage, he hopes to develop them fully. This is a less drastic, more realistic solution to smartphone addiction than locking your device away in a cupboard, Bandi believes.

“Rather than taking phones completely out of our lives, this is a subtler solution. You have to sacrifice the functionality of the objects if you want to use your phone.”