NFC Ring Aims To Open Doors, Literally

It's not the first time we've seen NFC embedded in odd products – the folks at Geak have even tried to make ring of their own – but here with John McLear's invention, uses appear unlimited. Here with what's called – quite simply – "NFC Ring", McLear suggests that you'll be able to do anything a standard NFC tag would be able to to, including linking to webpages, sharing codes and URLs, and sending commands to phones (just so long as they've got the right app to do so). What's not to like?

These rings are designed to look stylish, too. They're not bulky, not made of plastic and blasted out with bright colors – they're metal. And they're not just a simple piece of aluminum, mind you, they've got several layers of materials. Inside and throughout most of the ring you've got a lovely titanium/steel mix which makes up most of the color of the ring – from there it gets interesting.

NOTE: The tag this ring works with attaches – if you wish – to an official NFC Ring app, which at the moment has some limited built-in profiles. Various options for other apps exist as well – this NFC ring works with a standard NFC protocol for reading and writing, so go wild!

To hold the whole mix in, there's a clear RFID passive coating front and center – this can be worn above your finger, below your finger, wherever – just know that this bit is the part you've got to tap to have your devices recognize the NFC tag within. Below this cover layer is another inlay cover, this above the NFC inlay with NTAG 203 chip itself.

Below that is a bit of RFID reflective material to make sure you've got the signal as strong as possible, and the whole device is made to be solid and work forever. The first run of rings – according to McLear – will take 2 weeks to make and will be a run of 1,000 rings. Have a peek at the "making of" journey here and let us know what you think!

VIA: The Verge; Fast Company