Say What!? How to Pay for Your Coffee With Your Heartbeat
Did you know that your heartbeat is as unique as your fingerprint? Like a gadget straight out of Gattaca, the new Nymi wristband could become the only thing you need to leave the house with each day. Wearing the wristband will make you just a heartbeat away from paying for your coffee, booting up your computer, and checking in at your hotel on vacation—literally! We’re super excited to give it a try and see what kinds of apps and integrations are built for it. Let’s look at how it works.
When you snap on the wristband in the morning and press it gently into your wrist, it measures your heartbeat. This will “authenticate” you with the wristband, and enables the Nymi to interact securely with any of your connected devices. Which means if you’ve been adding gadgets to automate your home, your Nymi can control those systems—so long as the software has been developed for it. As soon as you walk in the door it could turn off your security system, adjust your thermostat, and turn on your lights with just a flick of your wrist. It can do the same thing with your car. Walk up to the back bumper and gesture for the trunk to open. Like magic, it will, thanks to the built-in gesture controls. (Yes, our minds are being blown right now, too.)
We love the idea that this wristband can streamline so many things in your life. Because it reads your individual heartbeat, it’s potentially secure enough to replace passwords on you computer, phone, and tablet. Thank God, too, because if you’re like us, you have over a dozen different passwords for all your various digital accounts.
Better yet, though, what if this wristband could become your wallet? Imagine never having to fumble in your purse for cash or your credit card. Instead, you could just hold your wrist to the cash register and instantly pay for your coffee, lunch, or overflowing shopping cart.
Our verdict: It would definitely take some getting used to using a wristband for all your daily activities—and we would want to scrutinize the security info and the terms of service, especially if you can connect it to your bank accounts. We’ll be waiting to see which companies build Nymi integration into their systems before we order, otherwise, it could turn into another piece of digital jewelry.
To see Nymi’s potential, check out the video below.
Would you buy the Nymi? Tell us why or why not, and what you’d use it for in the comments!