If the life of your phone has ever been claimed by a freak coffee spill, you are familiar with your cell's SIM card. The little memory chip lets users switch over numbers, passwords, texts and contacts to a new phone in the event your current one meets the untimely demise of liquid spillage. One company is looking to alter the inevitable outcome (a new phone) by shifting SIM cards into the world of wearable technology
DOCOMO, one of Japan's biggest mobile carriers unveiled their the first "SIM-based authentication device" prototype this week. Named Portable SIM, the card can be waved over any given device and your info can be swapped from a phone to a tablet or computer. This is achieved using wireless technologies Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (similar to Bluetooth but only requires devices to touch to establish a connection) to exchange data.
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The company, which also recently rolled out a line of smart clothes and a fitness-tracking wristband, is still in the research stage. DOCOMO is working to shrink the 8-by-4-centimeter prototype to wearable size and understand how to use it to link up with devices like TVs and smart-car systems. Information about when it will be available to consumers has not been released.
While Portable SIM could be quite convenient, there is still the question of security. The company explained in its statement that one way they are working to insure that subscriber identities are kept out of hacker hands is by locking the phone number when the Bluetooth link is broken. However, the wearable-tech enthusiasts that decide to bring their Portable SIM poolside are on their own.
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