ZDNET’s key takeaways Brick just unveiled Brick Night. It’s an iteration on an already-perfect device, I argue. It costs $129, compared to $59 for the original Brick.
I’ve used my Brick almost every single day for the past year. Every morning and evening, my Brick restricts me from seeing social media, so I’m not waking up or going to bed to some horrific news or rage bait. Unlike other tech products that grow in popularity by offering more of something, Brick has built its brand by taking our most distracting apps away from us. (You simply tap your phone on the device to block the apps of your choice with NFC technology, until you tap again.) That’s a noble pursuit — but not a profitable one, I thought to myself when I first tested it.
After all, how can a company grow when its entire ethos is built on removing tech from the lives of its users? Also: I bricked my iPhone to prevent doomscrolling – how life has been after six months of use More from ZDNET Brick Night , Brick’s newest defense against doomscrolling, is seemingly its answer to that question. It’s a Bluetooth-enabled device that, like the original Brick, blocks distracting apps.
The difference between Brick Night and Brick is that the former does so once a user approaches a designated area, and the latter does so upon tapping the gray block. Users can select the apps they’d like to block, outline the space in which this blocking occurs, set a schedule, and then go in and out of that space as the Brick Night blocks and unblocks their apps. So Brick adds a Bluetooth-enabled doomscroll perimeter to the Brick Night, shutting off apps or websites that would keep somebody up once they’re within their bed’s distance.
It can reach as far as 25 by 25 feet. “While you’re in your space during your set hours, your apps stay Bricked. Leave, or reach the end of your window, and they Unbrick,” the product’s description says.
Also: I’d easily splurge on these 5 tech devices again – why they’re worth it This new device costs nearly double the original Brick, at $129. Is Bluetooth really that expensive these days? I don’t think so.
I’d still recommend the original Brick over the Brick Night, and would be more excited about another Brick product if the Brick Night weren’t priced as high as it is, especially because I have already set up schedules through my Brick that block distracting apps in the morning and at night. The Brick Night essentially does the same thing, but now it’s enabled through location recognition and not an automated schedule. Brick Night feels like a cheap attempt to build on a perfect product.
Also: Bloom Card vs. Brick: My verdict after trying both gadgets to cut screen time The original Brick device. Nina Raemont/ZDNET
Source: ZDNET
