This article was taken from the February 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
John McLear, a web developer and founder of an education IT company in Bradford, developed the NFC Ring for his own use in 2012. Then a friend said he'd pay for one, so McLear put the project on Kickstarter, asking for £30,000 -- but eventually raising £241,947. He says his ten-strong company will have shipped 25,000 rings by February.
Two NFC tags line the ring: one, on the outside, lets you publicly share information such as pictures, links and contacts; the tag inlaid inside is for private data, such as the unlock code for your home (you'll need digital locks), phone and, in McLear's case, his Peugeot 205 -- all managed by an Android app. As a security test, McLear hired a local pickpocket to try and steal the ring. "He showed it was much more difficult to get a ring off someone's finger than steal their wallet or keys," he says. "The current method of securing a house with a normal key is so broken."
A Wi-Fi NFC Ring is in the works, but McLear is most excited about a medical application planned for 2016: "There will be a bright light on the inside of the loop that 'samples' your blood," he says. "You take a picture of your blood cells and count the platelets."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
