back to article Slip your finger in this ring and unlock your backdoor, phone, etc

An NFC Ring does exactly what it says on the tin: it’s a piece of jewellery with two NFC tags embedded in it that pass information to nearby phones, tablets and other gadgets by radio. Given that NFC has been a bit of a flop, this may seem a little pointless. Even the technology flag-wavers have stopped claiming that “next …

COMMENTS

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  1. Mage Silver badge
    Facepalm

    But it's still pointless.

    NFC concept is OK contactless stock control where a barcode is inconvenient. It's stupidity as part of a secure system.

    1. Pen-y-gors

      Re: But it's still pointless.

      Barcodes are always convenient - saw a bod in the chippie last night with one tattooed on the back of his neck! Didn't have a scanner on me to check out who he was.

      1. TheFatMan
        Joke

        Re: But it's still pointless.

        "Didn't have a scanner on me to check out who he was."

        There's an app for that

        1. Sir Runcible Spoon
          Coat

          Re: But it's still pointless.

          ""Didn't have a scanner on me to check out who he was.""

          I would have lent you mine, but I took this arrow to the knee you see.

    2. Graham Cobb Silver badge

      Re: But it's still pointless.

      I don't think it is completely pointless, but it isn't quite there yet. It needs to be no bigger than a wedding ring, tough, passive (no charging!). But if it was, then I think the unlocking phone/house use case might be useful.

      Personally I don't set a PIN code on my personal phone at all -- I have never lost one or had it stolen (and I have had a mobile phone since the analogue days) so I choose convenience over security. I would use security which didn't require me to do anything to use the phone! And a ring is much less likely to be lost than a set of house keys in my pocket.

      I am yet to be convinced about the bitcoin wallet use case, though!

      1. BillG
        Pirate

        Re: But it's still pointless.

        Still to come - ring codes stolen by chips embedded in doorknobs!

    3. Message From A Self-Destructing Turnip
      Facepalm

      Re: But it's still pointless.

      Yes those immobiliser RFID chips car manufacturers have been using in ignition keys for the last fifteen years have been an unmitigated security disaster, and the level of credit theft from the millions of oyster cards in use in London's transport system is an absolute scandal!

  2. Pen-y-gors

    Muggers?

    So muggers now nick your phone AND chop off your finger to get the key. Neat.

    1. Bronek Kozicki
      Coat

      Re: Muggers?

      Muggers rarely want access to your phones data, they just want hardware to flog on ebay.

  3. TRT Silver badge

    Novel...

    taking a ring OFF to become invisible.

  4. Paul J Turner

    Think bigger

    My money is on This Product

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Think bigger

      Hm. I already have "ultra small finger gesture recognition technology" down pat. I use it every day when I drive in Florida...

  5. Daedalus

    Gives a whole new meaning to...

    ...giving somebody a ring sometime.

  6. Christian Berger

    Reminds me of the Java days

    Back when Java was still considered to have a bright future under the sun, they made rings with little Java chips inside so you could exchange data by touch through the conductivity of your body. It never really got anywhere but the keys were hideous.

  7. Alan Sharkey

    When I last looked at NFC (about a year ago), you had to unlock your phone (Galaxy S3) before NFC would work.

    Have there been enhancements since then?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      apparently not, just tried a Nexus 5, no reaction to a NFC enabled debit card until it was unlocked.

  8. wyatt

    I looked at NFC advertising for a website I'm promoting. It requires the user to bring their (supported phone with NFC turned on) very close to be prompted to open the link. Not ideal. As far as I'm aware your screen needs to be active or you could walk up to someone and make their phone do stuff without them knowing which would be great wouldn't it?

  9. SVV
    Happy

    I know some people seem to be married to their smartphones....

    But this is just taking things way too far

  10. Herby

    But can it be...

    ...engraved with your significant other's birthday, or your mutual anniversary? Oh, and it has to look "good" to the gender that has multiple X chromosomes.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    An NFC ring is fine, but I'd rather have a superbowl ring.

    </American football joke>

  12. Hud Dunlap
    Joke

    What? No ring to rule them all Jokes?

    I am surprised I am the first!

    1. Robert Baker
      Pint

      Re: What? No ring to rule them all Jokes?

      Surely it's "one ring to control them all". :-)

  13. MJI Silver badge

    Would have to be passive

    The point is it is always there, if you have to take off to charge it will be forgotten or not bothered with.

  14. Lamont Cranston

    NFC enabled door locks sound great,

    until you get locked in/out during a powercut.

    1. Robert Baker
      FAIL

      Re: NFC enabled door locks sound great,

      "until you get locked in/out during a powercut."

      For that reason, nobody with any sense installs a domestic front-door locking system that needs a key to open it from the inside — I suspect that doing so may even be a breach of fire regulations.

      It's certainly a breach of common sense, particularly for anyone who saw Westworld.

  15. Francis Boyle Silver badge

    Can I get it as a nipple ring

    or even a prince albert. "No officer, I swear I was just unlocking my phone".

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