Your Pulse Will Be The Key To ‘The Internet Of Things’, But Is That Actually A Good Thing?

Our world is constantly expanding technologically, and it is safe to say that over the last decade and a half, our technology has improved so much that it is now considered a necessary part of our lives. Most of us seem to be lost without our smartphones buzzing on our hips. We also find it weird to be in any public place that doesn’t provide some sort of WiFi access.

Now a new item that has been introduced that makes a wearer’s pulse the key to unlocking items that are known as the “internet of things.” However, is that really a good thing?

For starters, it should be established that “the internet of things” is a term given to common everyday items that are now connected to the internet. Think of your smartphone as an example. With data and WiFi access turned on, it is usually connected to the internet at all times, right? And for the sake of this article (because technically turning off WiFi and data doesn’t disconnect it from the internet, believe it or not), when data and WiFi are turned off, it is no longer online, right? Well, now there are everyday items that are connected to the internet such as kitchen appliances, automatic doors, and even lights and toilets.

To use these “the internet of things” items and appliances, we need some sort of initial control. According to the company Bionym, activation of items can now be done with a bracelet known as the Nymi. According to their official website, the Nymi is the first wearable authentication technology that allows users to take control of identity through cardiac rhythm recognition, or a person’s heartbeat. Authenticate once with the wearable tech and everything else that requires passwords, key codes, or even keys will no longer be needed because it will recognize your heartbeat as the access key.

To further understand this new technology, Bionym made a video which they uploaded onto their official Youtube channel. The video is attached below for your viewing.

We actually reported on the Nymi back in 2013, but the reason for this article is the spike in concerns for the new internet-using tech. We reported that WiFi passwords could be stolen from hacked smart lightbulbs (which is linked above) and identity theft is now the number one crime in the United States. Could the Nymi be hacked? Or could the Nymi be a hindrance at any point? Is the Nymi the initiation of something far more sinister?

The Daily Sheeple recently brought insight to this question and brought up some very interesting scenarios. First is the recognition of heartbeat. Everyone knows that a person’s heartbeat changes during certain situations. When sleeping a heartbeat is lower compared to working out or running. How can the Nymi recognize that the heartbeat at different beats per minute is from the same person?

Another scenario is more Orwellian. Canadian Business actually picked up on the story when reporting on a demo of the Nymi that took place at a very recent demonstration. Apparently, even those in the trade can imagine this system being abused. One such scenario is as follows:

“The powers that be could start to control access based on persistent identity. In a dystopian future, I’m not allowed to enter a Pizza Hut because my identity says I’m overweight, and there’s some kind of overweight tax. Or, because I’m online and they know all my health data, my insurance premiums could go up.”

In conclusion, the Nymi is a cool piece of tech, but it also has its downside. As a matter of fact, End Timers might see this as initial technology for “The Mark of The Beast,” about which we reported earlier this week. Once people are comfortable with a bracelet, an implantable chip doesn’t sound too bad.

[Image via Bing]