Entering your home with keys or logging into your PC with a password might be a thing of the past if the latest NFC technology from Dangerous Things catches on.
The Seattle-based company already surpassed the $8,000 funding goal for the xNT, a NFC-compliant RFID tag that is inserted underneath the skin of your hand.
You may have seen NFC (near-field communications) technology in action already. It uses radio frequencies that allow devices to send and receive data wirelessly with another device containing a NFC tag. For example, some retailers allow customers to make purchases by holding your phone close to a receiver at a cash register.
But the xNT tag, encased in a 2mm x 12mm cylindrical bioglass vial and sterilized in ethylene oxide gas, actually goes into your hand with a fairly simple surgical procedure. Afterward, your hand essentially turns into an NFC-enabled smartphone.
Once you have the xNT installed in your body, you can simply use your hand to unlock a car, computer or house door, among other neat tricks. Ken Kyger, an Android developer and NFC enthusiast, had the xNT implanted and said it took less than two days for the entire healing process. He’s already built an app that allows him to turn off the lights by waving his hand over a smartphone.
“This is absolutely one of the cooler things I’ve ever done,” Kyger said in the video below.
For $99, you can order the chip and also receive a personal injection system, which is designed for a body piercer, body modification professional, nurse, doctor or veterinarian to use for implanting the tag into your hand.
Dangerous Things was founded last year by Amal Graafstra, a double RFID implantee. We had Graafstra on our radio show last year and he spoke about his RFID lifestyle, how he uses the tags, how he responds to critics, and where he thinks RFID is headed long term.
Check out the video below to watch Graafstra talk about the xNT.
