Token, the smart ring that replaces the password

Fitted with an optical reader and one for fingerprints, the device can be used to unlock doors, computers and for secure payments

Choosing a secure password is the first action to protect your data from prying eyes and hackers, considering that computer scams are now the order of the day. Sometimes, however, it is not enough. Two researchers have invented Token, a smart ring that can replace passwords. Using this special accessory, which from the aesthetic point of view also has an appreciable design, it is possible to open the door of a car or the door of a house. But the surprises didn't end there. Token is a valid tool, and above all safe, even to unlock a computer: two small strokes on the desk and the ring inserts the password in the PC. But how is it possible? Token communicates with other devices using Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC), technology, the latter, which allows the ring to be able to manage payments. A bit like Apple Pay.

How Token works

Now let's try to understand how Token works, an object that significantly increases the security of our data, especially financial data. The ring is equipped with a fingerprint reader, which allows the device to recognize its owner, and an optical sensor, which locks the device as soon as it is removed from the finger. In this way, the probability that another person can use the ring instead of the owner is zero.

Associates with the smartphone

To use Token, you need to store your personal data inside it (passwords, credit card information, digital keys and more) through the appropriate application available for Android, Windows 10, iOS and OS X. Once this is done, the ring is ready to be used as a secure unlocking and payment system. It will be enough to affix the ring to an NFC reader to open a door or to pass the subway turnstiles.

Price

Let's get to the sore spot: the price. There are several versions. The cheapest starts at $249, which is almost 220 euros. Too much? It depends, considering the level of security the device offers, especially these days, where users' data sail in a stormy sea infested by hackers.