Former search king Lycos makes a peculiar comeback with a set of wearables

Once the most visited online destination in the entire world, search-engine Lycos fell into relative obscurity as it exchanged hands and strategies over the better part of the last decade. Now Lycos is back, and it wants in on the wearables game.

The company is rolling out a ring and a band on June 8 under the name Lycos Life, and while exact and detailed functionality is fairly unclear, we do know that phone connectivity, fitness tracking, and a “personal security manager” will be primary features. Priced at $60 and $125 respectively, the gadgets are only compatible with Android smartphones for the time being (iOS support promised in the near future).

With the release of these products the company also launches the Lycos Life Project, a non-profit arm that uses wireless sensor technology to provide free air and water quality readings to families around the world. Five percent of Lycos Life sales will go to the initiative.

The humanitarian angle is a smart move on Lycos’ part, since the initiative may be the only thing standing in the way of its complete destruction by established and beloved companies providing the same product (Jawbone, Apple, Fitbit, Ringly, to name a few). We almost feel sort of bad for the dinosaur that is Lycos, but we do wish them the best of luck. Everyone loves a comeback story.

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