High-tech jewelry containing your passwords is becoming a reality thanks to British entrepreneur’s recent Kickstarter campaign.
John McLear of Bradford, England, began seeking funding for his “NFC (near field communication) ring” project on July 20 and has raised more than $376,000. A pledge of $43 gets backers a men’s ring.
“The NFC Ring can be used to unlock doors, mobile phones, transfer information and link people,” McLear says on his Kickstarter page. “Best of all the NFC Ring glides right onto your finger—no updates, no charging, and no fuss.”
According to the funding page, the ring is battery-free and contains two transmitters—one for public information and another for private data. It utilizes built-in radio frequency identification technology to automatically unlock NFC phones and doors when a wearer touches them.
His device could get a jump on a ring by Google, which previously discussed its plans to move away from typed passwords earlier this year.
However, tech publications believe that Google’s size will ultimately give it the edge. “Google’s greater resources and influence will likely see its approach to connecting jewelry with Internet services a better assault on the password problem,” IT editor Tom Simonite wrote in an article for MIT Technology Review.
- Subscribe to the JCK News Daily
- Subscribe to the JCK Special Report
- Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
- Follow JCK on X: @jckmagazine
- Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
