John McLear
The NFC Ring combines fashion and technology into one seriously smart wearable. Adorning a finger, the NFC Ring doesn't look out of place in the office, the home, or the even the catwalk, but its attractive exterior belies its true power. A pair of Near Field Communication (NFC) radio tags, compatible with everything from smartphones and tablets to door locks and time and attendance systems, lie just beneath the surface. Using the bundled NFC Ring Control software - or, if you'd prefer, any third-party NFC writing application - you can store your own data on the ring's tags, completing tasks in the wave of a hand that would previously have required far more complex interactions.
So, What Does It Do?
The NFC Ring is designed with two independent NFC tags, one on the upper surface and one on the lower. This is key to its operation: the upper tag should be programmed with information you frequently want to share with the public, while the lower tag holds data you'd rather keep private.
You could program the upper tag with your contact details in VCard format, allowing you to add your information to anyone's smartphone or tablet with nothing more than a fist-bump against the rear of their device. Alternatively, try storing a URL to your website, or a link to your Twitter profile - and watch people's faces light up as their device automatically loads the correct application. Speaking of apps, why not try programming the tag with a shortcut to your favourite application to quickly launch it without having to navigate through the menus of your smartphone?
For the lower tag, why not use it as part of a two-factor authentication
system, or to store a key for your chosen cryptographic application?
The gesture-based control system of the NFC Ring ensures that your data
will be kept safe from prying eyes: the thickness of your finger is too
much for the radio waves that activate the NFC Ring's inlaid tags to
pass through, meaning that as long as you only share your public data
with a closed fist your private data is guaranteed to stay private.
There's fun to be had with the tag's universally unique identifier, too.
Affordable off-the-shelf NFC-enabled door locks allow you to open your
home or office with a wave of your hand, finally doing away with bulky
keys and the risk of forced entry through lock-snapping, picking, or
bump-keys. Using Android's Smart Lock system you can also unlock your
smartphone or tablet automatically, simply by holding the device in the
same hand as your NFC Ring.
The original, the exceptional, NFC Ring launched on Kickstarter in July
2013, and took the site by storm. We were awed by the community's
response, which proved that we really had something exciting to offer.
Now, two years down the line, we're back with a new and improved design.
Amanda Brief
ensafatef
John Costik
Marco Camilli