Plenty of tech companies are working on different ways replace passwords (example: Google’s security ring), mainly because passwords are difficult to remember, easy to crack, and the average user has dozens.
Enter Nymi ($79). Created on the basis of research done at the University of Toronto, the idea behind Nymi is this: waveforms created by a heartbeat are essentially unique to an individual—even if they speed up or slow down. This allows them to be used like a fingerprint. Nymi, bound to your wrist, uses your heartbeat to authenticate your identity. Then, it connects to smart devices around you—say, security software, or your homebrewing robot (hey, can’t be too careful!)—and lets you use your stuff without typing in a password.
At the moment, though, the average consumer isn’t going to be using a Nymi anytime soon. The target group is other developers, who can then integrate Nymi into their own smart appliances. We with them the best of luck—because frankly, we’re up to twenty-six different passwords. And easily googleable “security questions”. Really, who does that?
