A new device called a Nymi bracelet has brought a more personalized bent to the growing options in authentication, using biometric markers to (among other things) manage your keys and passwords .
The Nymi bracelet looks like a standard issue rubber athletic band, not very unlike the “activism” bracelets worn to show support for several causes.
However, a Nymi bracelet will set you back $79 instead of $2 at the 7-11 counter, but the higher price tag comes with some pretty interesting features.
It appears Nymi is going to be available in black, white, or an orange-y red color, and so far more than 1,400 people have signed up to pre-order the device.
A site published ahead of launch explains that Nymi “lets you use your unique cardiac rhythm to authenticate your identity, allowing you to wirelessly take control of your computer, your smartphone, your car and so much more,” adding that as you “wake up know that wherever you go the Nymi will be interacting with your devices, creating a smart, password and key-free environment.”
Nymi will alert you to updates like texts and emails, and “know” if someone who picks up your phone isn’t you. The site indicates that in order to authenticate, you need your “Nymi, your unique heartbeat and an Authorized Authentication Device (AAD),” which makes us wonder if lots of people have post-shower phone lockouts in their futures.
The Nymi bracelet won’t ship until “early 2014,” but you can poke around the site, peep the device, and even place a pre-order over at the official pre-launch page.
