The problem with wearables is that they are the are a jack of all trades but a master of none. They do the things they advertise well enough that you don’t regret your purchase but never are they the champions we envisage them to be. Mighty Cast, want to change the way you think about wearables with their Nex Band, a wearable that you, the consumer, have full control over and can teach to master the domains you want it to.

The somewhat hefty, water resistant rubber wristband features five LED colored blocks or “mods” as they are referred to, that can be configured or “hacked” to fulfill several different actions including controlling your music, connected appliances or an IFTTT applet. The Bluetooth connected device uses a combination of light and vibration patterns to inform you of phone calls, messages, likes or pretty much any type of notification you’d get on your smartphone as well. Even functioning as an activity tracker for those of you wanting to rid yourself of your Fitbit.

The mods are easy to enough to trigger, you simply select the one you want to “hack” which is activated by a double-tap or a long press and then select from a generous list of pre-installed options what action you would like it to complete. The mods are also multi-functional, where you can add more than one operation, for example, using the device to open your garage while simultaneously turning on the interior lights of your home.

Setting up and pairing the device with our iPhone was a breeze and the app is simple enough that you can customize your hacks very easily. The pre-installed list helps a lot, as we did feel that without this, this may turn consumers off – especially considering the overwhelming number of options once you get into the hacks and notifications menu. However, as far as apps go, this one was intuitive and easy enough to navigate after the initial learning curve. One thing we did like, was the ability to customize light and vibration patterns for most of our favorite apps – Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter etc. but we do fear having to remember the different notification combinations may become annoying overtime.

The one thing we do wish Mighty Cast had given more though too is the charger. It is a flimsy clip on plastic housing with a micro-USB port that involves some finagling to attach via the charging pins on the rear of the device. We have struggled repeatedly trying to attach it just right and simply couldn’t see why they couldn’t have integrated the charging port into the band.

Overall, we have had a lot of fun with The Nex Band. We have set up our favorite notification light patterns and hacks and with a little refinement here and there, could really see this being the future of wearables: Total automation of our daily lives. Mighty Cast have nailed the fundamentals and have the capacity to do great things in the future. We can’t wait to see what else they have in store.

Get your exclusive ONE CUT price on The Nex Band here – Nex is your Customizable Smart Band, The Evolving Wearable With Custom Light Notifications, Activity Tracker, Game Controller, Smart Home Integration – One Wearable. Endless Control. (Black)