NFC Ring can unlock your smartphone or front door

By Mike Flacy Published August 12, 2013

Already smashing through a £30,000 ($46,464) funding goal on Kickstarter, the NFC Ring is a simple steel or titanium ring that has near-field communication (NFC) functionality built into the design. Offering two separate inlays within the ring, the top inlay allows users to share public information with friends, like a Twitter username, using a bump gesture with another device. The bottom inlay is used to perform more private actions like unlocking your smartphone or placing the palm of your hand on the front door of your home to unlock a NFC-enabled door lock.

Conceptually, the bottom inlay is more secure since the user can clench their fist to protect from any actions or simply keep their hands faced down and away from devices. The bottom inlay is also significantly smaller than the top inlay, thus providing additional security for private data and making public data easier to share with an acquaintance. The read distance is extremely short at just one millimeter and the two inlays to “generate cross talk” in case anyone around you is attempting to read information at a distance using a high-powered antenna.

nfc-ring-interaction — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Since the read distance is so small, the creator of the NFC Ring recommends placing a sticker on your smartphone to indicate the closest point to the NFC antenna. In addition, some smartphones, the Samsung S4 and Z10 for instance, will require the alpha version of the NFC ring instead of the normal version because the manufacturer placed the battery too close to the NFC antenna.

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Besides Twitter, other public actions that can be accomplished at launch include sharing contact information, a Facebook profile, a YouTube account, a URL for a personal site or the Wi-Fi password to a home’s network. However, the software is publicly available on Github in order to allow developers to create their own ring actions and hopefully share those with the community.

At launch, the creator of NFC Ring plan to release an application for Android and Windows Phone 7. The NFC Ring also works with Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry devices, but there won’t be a native app at launch for those devices.

Of course, there’s no iPhone support because Apple didn’t include NFC connectivity in the smartphone’s design. The ring can hold approximately 144 bytes of data and does not require a battery or any form of charging. It comes in sizes between 7 to 15 and is also water-resistant

Beyond smartphones and door locks, other hardware that can communication with the NFC ring easily include the Raspberry Pi and Arduino board. The development team isn’t pursing payment functionality with the NFC Ring since it requires a significant amount of encryption to accomplish, but a user’s Bitcoin account information can be given out publicly to another device in order to receive a Bitcoin payment.

Regarding pricing, the base price for a NFC Ring at launch is £22 ($34). According to the Kickstarter product page, the NFC Ring team plans to ship the basic hardware by September 2013 and custom designs by October 2013. Before backing a project on Kickstarter, be aware that manufacturing issues can often delay the estimated delivery windows of a product by weeks or even months.

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Cars

EVs top gas cars in German reliability report — but one weak spot won’t quit

future electric cars 2021 volkswagen id4 official 32

Electric vehicles are quietly crushing old stereotypes about being delicate or unreliable, and the data now backs it up in a big way. According to Germany’s ADAC — Europe’s largest roadside assistance provider — EVs are actually more reliable than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. And this isn’t just a small study — it’s based on a staggering 3.6 million breakdowns in 2024 alone.
For cars registered between 2020 and 2022, EVs averaged just 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles, while ICE cars saw more than double that, at 10.4 per 1,000. Even with more EVs hitting the road, they only accounted for 1.2% of total breakdowns — a big win for the battery-powered crowd.
Among standout performers, some cars delivered exceptionally low breakdown rates. The Audi A4 clocked in at just 0.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for 2022 models, with Tesla’s Model 3 right behind at 0.5. The Volkswagen ID.4, another popular EV, also impressed with a rate of 1.0 – as did the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross at 1.3. On the flip side, there were some major outliers: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 showed a surprisingly high 22.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for its 2022 models, while the hybrid Toyota RAV4 posted 18.4.
Interestingly, the most common issue for both EVs and ICE vehicles was exactly the same: the humble 12-volt battery. Despite all the futuristic tech in EVs, it’s this old-school component that causes 50% of all EV breakdowns, and 45% for gas-powered cars. Meanwhile, EVs shine in categories like engine management and electrical systems — areas where traditional engines are more complex and failure-prone.
But EVs aren’t completely flawless. They had a slightly higher rate of tire-related issues — 1.3 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles compared to 0.9 for ICE cars. That could be due to their heavier weight and high torque, which can accelerate tire wear. Still, this trend is fading in newer EVs as tire tech and vehicle calibration improve.
Now, zooming out beyond Germany: a 2024 Consumer Reports study in the U.S. painted a different picture. It found that EVs, especially newer models, had more reliability issues than gas cars, citing tech glitches and inconsistent build quality. But it’s worth noting that the American data focused more on owner-reported problems, not just roadside breakdowns.
So, while the long-term story is still developing, especially for older EVs, Germany’s data suggests that when it comes to simply keeping you on the road, EVs are pulling ahead — quietly, efficiently, and with far fewer breakdowns than you might expect.

Cars

You can now lease a Hyundai EV on Amazon—and snag that $7,500 tax credit

amazon autos hyundai evs lease ioniq 6 n line seoul mobility show 2025 mk08

Amazon has changed how we shop for just about everything—from books to furniture to groceries. Now, it’s transforming the way we lease cars. Through Amazon Autos, you can now lease a brand-new Hyundai entirely online—and even better, you’ll qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit if you choose an electric model like the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, or Kona EV.
Here’s why that matters: As of January 2025, Hyundai’s EVs no longer qualify for the tax credit if you buy them outright, due to strict federal rules about battery sourcing and final assembly. But when you lease, the vehicle is technically owned by the leasing company (Hyundai Capital), which allows it to be classified as a “commercial vehicle” under U.S. tax law—making it eligible for the credit. That savings is typically passed on to you in the form of lower lease payments.
With Amazon’s new setup, you can browse Hyundai’s EV inventory, secure financing, trade in your current vehicle, and schedule a pickup—all without leaving the Amazon ecosystem.
It’s available in 68 markets across the U.S., and pricing is fully transparent—no hidden fees or haggling. While Hyundai is so far the only automaker fully participating, more are expected to join over time.
Pioneered by the likes of Tesla, purchasing or leasing vehicles online has been a growing trend since the Covid pandemic.
A 2024 study by iVendi found that 74% of car buyers expect to use some form of online process for their next purchase. In fact, 75% said online buying met or exceeded expectations, with convenience and access to information cited as top reasons. The 2024 EY Mobility Consumer Index echoed this trend, reporting that 25% of consumers now plan to buy their next vehicle online—up from 18% in 2021. Even among those who still prefer to finalize the purchase at a dealership, 87% use online tools for research beforehand.
Meanwhile, Deloitte’s 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study reveals that while 86% of U.S. consumers still want to test-drive a vehicle in person, digital tools are now a critical part of the buying journey.
Bottom line? Amazon is making it easier than ever to lease an EV and claim that tax credit—without the dealership hassle. If you're ready to plug in, it might be time to add to cart.

Emerging Tech

Humanoid robots race against humans at unique half-marathon in China

A humanoid robot running in a half marathon.

You may have seen robots dancing like the music icon Mick Jagger, doing parkour, or even painting on a canvas. Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot is eagerly anticipated, while Google and Meta are also planning to enter the field. The competition in the East, however, is on a different level altogether.

China just put humanoid robots to the test in the world’s first race of its kind, where they ran alongside humans in a half-marathon. A total of 21 robots lined up for the event in the Yizhuang half-marathon, following a long spell of supervised learning on roads.