In today’s hectic world, we all look for ways to make our lives simpler, and the NFC ring does just that. The ring itself is a fashionable little silver band that you wear around your finger but, the NFC ring is not your typical piece of jewelry. Instead, it is a small technological wonder embedded into a piece of metal. The NFC ring uses a technology known as near field communication to wirelessly transmit, via RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, which is a signal that can be used to unlock a smart phone or NFC enabled door locks, and even share your contact information with another person.
Using the NFC Ring to Unlock Your Smart Phone and Doors
Using a third party app for your smart phone, you can simply slide your hand under the phone and the NFC ring will unlock it. Although this seems to be a rather silly use of an NFC equipped ring, it can nonetheless prove to be a time saver, especially by those who find themselves annoyed by the constant need to swipe to unlock their smart phone. A more fascinating use, of course, is the ability to unlock your home or office door by simply placing your hand within range of the NFC capable lock. Imagine not having to bother with digging through a purse for a set of keys, or standing on a darkened porch searching through numerous keys to find the correct one. Simply touch the lock with the ring, and the door unlocks.
Share Your Contact Information through Bumping Technology
The NFC ring takes Apple’s bumping technology, in which two iPhones can be bumped together to create an ad hoc transfer of information, to an all-new level. The NFC ring can be programmed with any number of personal details such as your phone number, address, favorite websites, or any other information you would like to share. When you meet someone that you would like to share this information with, all you have to do is place the NFC ring against the back of their supported smart phone and the information is instantly transferred to the phone.
What’s Inside the NFC Ring
Built into the NFC ring are two very tiny RFID transmitters, a form of wireless technology that has the ability to transfer data over very short distances. The ring’s transmitters are separated into two distinct sections, called inlays – one for storing and transferring public information, the other for private data. Each transmitter is fully programmable with the information that owner deems private or public. Like most RFID devices, the ring itself does not require a battery, and therefore never needs to be charged. Perhaps the biggest selling point of the ring, however, is the fact that the software is completely open source, and can be modified as needed to create a myriad of interesting uses for the ring.
Privacy Concerns
One of the biggest concerns with RFID technology is the privacy and security of the data being transmitted. Because of this concern, the NFC ring has been created with a very short range. In order for the ring to function, it must be placed within 1mm of the device. This is, of course, to ensure that the data on the ring cannot be stolen by someone sitting across the room with an RFID reader. In a further attempt to secure the data, the two separate inlays, or nodes, on the ring are programmed to generate “cross talkâ€, a mixing of the signals being sent from each transmitter.
What do you think? Would you wear the NFC ring? If so, you can buy it now for less than $50! Check their Kickstarter here, or their website here. If you don’ t feel like buying it but have access to a 3D printer, you can find the 3D printing instructions via GitHub.
