Unlock Your Android Phone With Open Source Wearable NFC 81
coop0030 (263345) writes "Becky Stern at Adafruit has created a guide on how to create an open source NFC ring or other wearable to mod and unlock your Android phone. From the tutorial: 'Unlock your phone by just picking it up! No more pesky password or gesture PIN, just scan an NFC tag! This guide covers creating an NFC ring, putting an NFC tag in your nail polish, modding your Android installation to read tags from the lockscreen, and creating an automation toolchain to unlock the phone when the desired tag is scanned.'
There is also a video that demonstrates how it works."
Unlocking a phone.... (Score:5, Funny)
Boy, and I'd always heard it was a lot harder than that to get an unlocked phone
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No, most phones don't have locks on them. They wouldn't be much use, as phones are intended neither to hold valuable objects, nor to be secured to a particular location.
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>They wouldn't be much use, as phones are intended neither to hold valuable objects
Are you posting from 1990? Of course phones hold valuable info and have locks on them.
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My phone only unlocks once it reaches 30,000 feet.
Excelent (Score:1)
Now whoever try to get your "secret" stuff don't need to beat you with the 10$ wrench.
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NFC Rings (Score:4, Informative)
You can grab NRC tag rings fairly cheaply at most of the Hong Kong importers.
One of many examples:
http://www.dx.com/p/smart-nfc-... [dx.com]
jewelry lost too (Score:1)
So now the muggers will be sure to ask for our jewelry as well as cellphone and wallet.
Re:jewelry lost too (Score:4, Funny)
I believe asking for jewelry has been a trade standard among muggers for some time already even.
Wallet (Score:3)
Re:Wallet (Score:5, Funny)
You can also just put an NFC sticker in your wallet.
She: "Maybe we could go out for drinks on Saturday"
He: "Let me check my schedule" - pulls out phone and waves it around near his butt - "Yeah, I'm free"
She (disgusted): "You pig! I'll never go out with you!"
Wallet may not be the best place for that tag, although it probably beats placing it in your belt buckle.
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Wallet may not be the best place for that tag, although it probably beats placing it in your belt buckle.
How about a tattoo on your johnson?
Do not want (Score:4, Funny)
If these things are ever sold anywhere, by anyone, it will be the first step in a slippery slope by which the phone grabbers will gut the First Amendment right to call anybody I want, any time. How long before the FCC demands a remote kill switch?
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> a bunch of thugs (you know who I mean)
No, who do you mean?
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KALI WORSHIPPERS! [youtube.com]
They want the sacrificial ring, for Swami Clang.
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I don't know about anyone else, but when I pick up my phone, I want it to work. Every time. This kind of interlock just adds another point of failure. Suppose a bunch of thugs (you know who I mean) are in my house, and I need to call the police?
In Europe you can call emergency services from a locked phone. Not sure if that feature is crippled at your place.
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> Suppose a bunch of thugs (you know who I mean) are in my house, and I need to call the police?
You mean the emergency call button that is on every recent smartphone?
Re:Do not want (Score:4)
No we don't. We're going to need more info to see if you're referencing associates of yours, or are maybe some kind of racist, since the ignorant conservatives use "thug" as code for black people, and we don't know if you're one of those awful people.
I have never in my life heard the word "thugs" used as a "code for black people". That's the honest truth.
I have, however, heard people who call themselves "progressives" use the term as a code for conservatives. That's also just the honest truth.
Disclaimer: I am not a "conservative," so don't waste everybody's time by going there.
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I actually thought the grandparent was satire about gun safety (similar system for a smart gun caused death threats recently).
You may or may not think it's funny, but I highly suspect the mods knew what was going on and thought it was funny, the poster I think clearly does not think like was posted.
I'm not particularly disturbed by the mod, anymore than Jonathan Swift proclaiming we need to eat the poor.
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You honestly read the grandparent and don't believe they weren't stereotyping? The fact that the grandparent was moderated to "funny" is a separate, disturbing fact in and of itself.
Yes, I honestly read GP and I don't see any "stereotyping".
I have honestly read your comment, and I do see stereotyping.
Since when is "you know who I mean" a racist comment? In my opinion, assuming it was racist is both racist and paranoid.
But that's just my opinion.
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I think slashdot just has higher standards of evidence of racism etc than some other places.
For it to be true it has to be blatent and with very little possibility of error "you know what I mean" doesn't constitute that. There are plenty of other interpretations.
You have to try to not assume malice (or even ignorance) in these things. Come to them from the best possible light they could be from your perspective and goals.
Using a certain style of language can associate people with things that they shouldn't
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I have never in my life heard the word "thugs" used as a "code for black people". That's the honest truth.
You do know that a big part of something being "code" for something else is so that people who don't know the code don't realize it's being used that way, right?
Unless you've been living under a rock, it is probably not true that you have never heard [deadspin.com] the term [mofopolitics.com] used [gawker.com] this way [youtu.be]. I think it is true that you are fairly ignorant about racism/racial code words in present day America, which I would hope would
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Suppose a bunch of thugs (you know who I mean) are in my house, and I need to call the police?
No, I don't. But if you want to call the police, on your and anyone's phone, just dial emergency. That's available on every phone with no login.
If these things are ever sold anywhere, by anyone, it will be the first step in a slippery slope by which the phone grabbers will gut the First Amendment right to call anybody I want, any time.
Whoah, which Constitution are you reading? The one written a hundred+ years before the invention of the phone? You do not have any right to call anyone you want any time you want.
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Its as if I heard the sound of hundreds, nay thousands of *whooshes* all at once.
Well played sir.
Re:Do not want (Score:5, Informative)
It's a comment on Gun Locks. Ahaha, most people are stupid.
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I don't know about anyone else, but when I pick up my phone, I want it to work. Every time.
Then you shouldn't get a cell phone. What you should get is a psychotherapist to help you deal with your paranoia issues.
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Why would you want to call more police to your house?
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"Suppose a bunch of thugs (you know who I mean) are in my house, and I need to call the police? "
the police will find your body when they arrive.
The LAST thing you reach for is a phone if your home is being invaded.
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You know you can dial 911 without unlocking the phone, right?
Missed opportunity (Score:2, Troll)
Given that my wife just found her wedding ring... (Score:2)
... two days ago that had been missing for over six months, not sure how enthusiastic I'd be about this.
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Sad that their relationship seems to be breaking down.
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You're wife didn't go back to her lover's place for six months to get it off the night stand?
Sad that their relationship seems to be breaking down.
"You are wife"?
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The mailman was clearly on medical leave.
Getting an NFC tag to play with (Score:4, Informative)
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A no fucking clue ring? Isn't that a man's wedding band?
National Football Conference
Is It Objectification...? (Score:1)
If I say, "Chicks who root their phones are hot," is it objectification?
If so, is it: A. because I used the word, "chick," B. because I'm focusing on a single characteristic, rooting a phone, instead of the whole person, or C. because I'm implying that the most important thing about a woman rooting her phone is that it increases her sexual attractiveness?
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If I say, "Chicks who root their phones are hot," is it objectification?
If so, is it: A. because I used the word, "chick," B. because I'm focusing on a single characteristic, rooting a phone, instead of the whole person, or C. because I'm implying that the most important thing about a woman rooting her phone is that it increases her sexual attractiveness?
I'd say (C) is the primary problem (going straight to the person's value as a sexual object is the definition of objectification), although the other two aren't great either.
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(going straight to the person's value as a sexual object is the definition of objectification)
Actually it has to do with their sense of agency. Agents can affect their surroundings, whereas things simply happen to objects, they are victims unable to affect anything.
In this sense a lot of people self labelling themselves as feminists are objectifying women a lot at times.
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It's objectification only if you think it adds any accessor methods to them.
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It's objectification only if you think it adds any accessor methods to them.
I prefer functional girls.
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It's objectification only if you think it adds any accessor methods to them.
I prefer functional girls.
Yeah, they don't have any side effects or hidden state.
Enjoy your tail calls!
It's easier than you might think. (Score:4, Informative)
I've been doing this on my Galaxy S3 for over 9 months now using an NFC tag glued to my watch band. All you need is a rooted phone running Android 4.0.3 and above and a willingness to install an XPosed plugin or two. This link has all the details:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/mod-nfc-unlocking-based-t2478163
TL;DR Steps:
Much easier (and safer, IMO) than installing a modified system apk, and this method can also survive system upgrades provided that you maintain root. It will launch whatever action is set for that NFC tag (link, text, app, whatever), but you can use another XPosed module [xda-developers.com] to supress the "Empty Tag" message on empty tags, if you so desire.
The Adafruit link from TFA has some interesting ideas on how to squeeze your NFC tag into some interesting places, and you can also buy some pretty small NFC tags on your own. I bought 20 Midas nTag NFC tags on Amazon for $13 with Prime shipping, and they measure 19mm x 12mm. You can shave another 2mm off of either dimension if you're very careful with the trimming. That was more than small enough to fit on the clasp of my watch, or on the back of a plastic watch band.
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I've been using black nail polish for years to cover blue LEDs on consumer electronics.
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I've been using black nail polish for years to cover blue LEDs on consumer electronics.
The real question is; why do you have blue LEDs on your fingertips?
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For wanking purposes. It's like fucking a router.
or
Why not? ;)
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For wanking purposes. It's like fucking a router.
or
Why not? ;)
I suppose a lot of people need an internet router for wanking purposes...
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The tag you bought is smooth glass and it WILL move around in your body and cause problems.
Then there's the danger of it being damaged.
I seriously recommend that you do NOT go ahead with your plan.
Pebble (Score:2)
Pebble has an app that does something similar with Bluetooth. So long as your Pebble (watch) is in range and connected via BT, the phone is unlocked. As soon as it loses the connection it's back to pin-unlock mode.
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The idea here is that the phone only unlocks for you. If it unlocks for anyone that picks it up... well that isn't much of a lock, is it?
Motorola Skip (Score:2)
For a number of motorola phones, this feature is already available. For $10, you get a clothing clip and 3 RFID stickers. Tap the phone to any of them, and it unlocks.
http://www.motorola.com/us/mot... [motorola.com]
Mugger business plan (Score:2)
2. Chop off hand wearing NFC ring and holding the smartphone
3. ???
4. Profit!
Security (Score:2)
Subdermal implant (Score:2)
I'd very much have a [professionally installed] subdermal RFID implant in my hand. There's no way I can loose it, and no matter the situation, I can always unlock my phone.
There's no such thing as "I got so drunk I lost my hand last night.". In case of really nasty accidents, you always have the classic pin-code anyway.