Within daily routines, there are a lot of things to keep track of: car keys, house keys, office key cards, credit cards, public transportation cards... and that's just the beginning. And for most of us, forgetting (or, uh, losing) just one of these items can bring the day to a standstill. That's where Token, a new, fingerprint-driven "smart" ring, comes in. Your life is about to get 10 times safer and 10 times swifter.
Token, which is both the name of the company and the name of the product, was founded in 2016 by Melanie and Steve Shapiro. Their mission? "To give you control of your identity." In our increasingly digital world, we're often unwilling to change if it means compromising on convenience, Melanie noted. Token aims to increase security measures, while streamlining our daily interactions with technology. Plus, if you're someone who forgets your passwords all the time, this pretty much solves that problem. But, where do you get the Token ring?
The Token ring operates on a two-factor identification system: Biometric (your fingerprint), and the ring itself, which utilizes the same "near field communication" (NFC) that credit cards use to make purchases. And then there's the bluetooth capability, which allows wearers to seemingly perform magic — with a simply wake up gesture, like a knock, you can log into computers and unlock doors. Yes, really. And if you, like me, lose every ring you've ever owned, here's the good news: once you take off the ring, it shuts down. Only your specific fingerprint can activate it.
So what can you actually load onto Token? Your credit cards, your office key cards, your house keys, your car keys, your subway card, your phone passwords, and your computer passwords.
I know this joke has been made like 50 times already, but boy oh boy is this Tolkien's "One ring to rule them all" or what.
There's no subscription service or monthly fee — with differing bundles, your purchase can run anywhere from $250 to $400.
Token will begin shipping Dec. 2017. Interested parties outside of the United States can begin placing orders in 2018. All orders must be placed through Token's site. Happy tapping!
