Token, a hardware company, has released a new biometric-based wearable ring that can do so many things, it almost sounds like magic: At $249, the Token ring can make payments, fire up your laptop, open and lock your front door, and even start your car.
Founded by husband and wife Melanie and Steve Shapiro at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Token has a built-in fingerprint scanner. This means that only the wearer can get the ring to work. It has a built in optical sensor, which locks the wearer’s credentials once he or she takes the ring off. It is waterproof up to 50 meters, so there’s no need to take it off in the shower or the swimming pool. Its battery lasts for approximately two weeks, then recharges on a wireless charging base.
So what can Token do? The Shapiro’s gained the support of multiple third party companies, including MasterCard, Microsoft, Visa and HID, which means the ring is able to supply a myriad of services: it stores the wearer’s credit cards, so once Visa or MasterCard details are added to the ring, the wearer can tap it over credit-card scanner at stores to complete their purchase. Token can also be used to unlock the wearer’s front door, or lock it on the way out by tapping on the door with the ring. Token can also be used to open your password-secured laptop. You only need to load it on the ring, tap twice on it – and your laptop with unlock. It can replace your badge at the office, so you can leave it at home. Token also sells a plug, for an extra charge, that can use the ring to open the car door, and then start the car.
According to their website, Token is made of Argentinium Sterling Silver, which makes it tarnish resistant. Argentinium Sterling Silver has “the same silver content as a traditional sterling silver product at 92.5%”. The inside of the ring has less silver as the outside to protect the components in the ring itself. The ring is available in seven sizes, and comes in three finishes that include Brushed Silver Finish, Rose Gold Plating and Black Rhodium Plating.
