Each person’s heart beats with its own unique pattern, the signature of which can be detected with a bit of pattern recognition software. Like fingerprints and retinas, nearly all of us have a heartbeat, which means that it can be used as a biometric authentication system.
A company called Bionym has developed a new wristband named Nimy that monitors the wearer’s pulse and detects its unique pattern in order to unlock phones, computers and other nearby devices that belong to the user. Though it looks like some of the fitness trackers we’ve seen in the last few years, the Nymi seems to be intended strictly for security purposes without offering any health related functions. Nevertheless, next time the device won’t let you log into your computer may be an indirect diagnosis of atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmia. The Nymi is now available to preorder for $79 a pop.
Here’s an intro video presenting the new wristband:
Product page: Nymi..
(hat tip: Engadget)