Google's One Ring to Rule Them All (Well, Passwords Anyway)

Google is developing a wearable ring that could take the place of all your passwords

Google is working on a piece of jewelry people can wear that will take the place of all their passwords. Users simply need to plug a ring into their computers and they can gain access.

Apparently Google revealed this development in a white paper published in January and mentioned the possibility of using jewelry to administer a small USB key and one's encrypted credentials, according to the MIT Technology Review.

The ring also has a chip inside so it can also be used on mobile devices. Although some might worry about security, the report said the ring's key is unique to the device and never transmitted. It works only if it is plugged in and responds to a "mathematical challenge." It doesn't use any information that could be used to log in again. In other words, it doesn't keep or hold any passwords.
 
There are other alternatives. Google already has used two-factor authentication, where a person uses a one-time code sent to his or her mobile phone each time. So far, users find it too much effort, according to Mayank Upadhyay, a principal engineer at Google specializing in security. Google is also working on authentication built into a browser.
 
There's little information on who's creating the hardware -- or in this case, the jewelry. We aren't impressed that it might be something similar to the $50 NEO from Yubikey which looks nothing like a ring. We prefer these from artist Oscar Blanco, who has also done a very geeky Green Lantern USB ring.
 
 
 
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