The Token biometric ring can help you pay for lunch and unlock your Windows PC

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

There are already quite a few ways to interact with Windows Hello in Windows 10, but a new third-party accessory shown off by Microsoft is pretty unique. Called Token, the accessory is a biometric ring that can be used for Windows Hello authentication, as well as a number of other applications, on your PC.

Token, the company says, stores you credentials via a secure element within the ring. Before you put it on, you "unlock" the ring with a fingerprint sensor located on its interior. From there, you can use Token to log in to your PC with a knock (yes, a knock) via Windows Hello. Token can also be used to log into websites, make payments with Visa and Mastercard, unlock doors, and much more.

It's definitely a neat idea for something that simply lives on your finger and looks like any other accessory, particularly with all of its potential applications. Unfortunately, that will come at a cost: Token will run $249 when it ships in December in seven sizes and three finishes. You can head to Token's website to learn more and place a preorder.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

46 Comments
  • Looks pretty neat. Curious how well it will actually work. Gonna hold off on it until I here some good positive feedback.
  • Same here. Haven't looked at the sizes yet either but hope there's one for large hands lol.
  • Only up to size 12.  That leaves me out.
  • Sweet! Could be useful for me for nfc payment and Public transit.
  • Very cool. $249 may be a bit much for what is essentially a fingerprint reader and nfc chip, despite the engineering feat... If it comes down to maybe $149, I will consider it
  • Hmmm. Token Ring. That's a name I havent heard in a long time...
  • Haha, yeah. I learned about it in school, but never actually worked with one. Seemed pretty interesting.
  • Well that just made me feel old, because yep I used them.
  • HA! So I am not the only dinosaur in the room ... lets go watch that interesting big asteroid coming our way :P
  • My precious! 
  • Lolz... Tolkien Ring....
  • Wonder if you'd need to lug around a MAU in your briefcase for connectivity...
  • Is it disabled if it's taken off of the finger? Otherwise, it's a giant security risk.
  • I suppose it is... however, if you can use it for payments, what about being robbed in the subway by a dexterous thief with a POS-like device wandering around for potential dupes? That is a security risk too.
  • Sounds like a plot of a high tech robbery film
  • U have to re-scan your fingerprint everytime u remove it from your finger. So basically its locked when its not on your finger.
  • Yep. So pretty secure
  • Yes, according to the FAQ it has a optical sensor to detect when it is taken of. And fingerprint must be read when putting on to unlock it. Will it used on it stays unlocked. And for certain applications you need to nock twice to activate.
  • It is.
  • I like the concept but will wait till it's a bit cheaper
  • Will MS do a Band on it though. Soo much innovation and then confusing decisions.
  • Band on it? Are you asking if MS will brand it as their own device? It's not made by MS so why would they? If it's anything like the "Cortana Speaker", Invoke made by Harman/Kardon, it will retain the makers brand and name (Token) and just be marketed as "works with Windows Hello" or "licensed accessory for Windows 10" or something like that.
  • He means treat it like the Band.
  • Good, now we need smartphones to use with it
  • Lol. It works independent of the phone from my understanding. Pick up an HP Elite X3 or 950XL...
  • Sadly you need an iOS or Android phone to configure it. ☹ Phone is not needed for daily use. https://tokenize.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007242447-What-devices... https://tokenize.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007407868-Is-there-a-T...
  • Since you don't need to carry it around to work, you could just pick up a cheap Android. I kept an old HTC for that reason, for apps that don't work in a browser (like Remind). Unfortunately, this adds $50-100 on top of the already expensive token.
  • That could be a semi acceptable work around. However, for me that would make the total 'package' to expensive.
  • So this is a device designed to authenticate with Microsoft platforms that can only be configured with non-Microsoft platforms.  That's nuts.  Even Vector Watch could be bothered to create a Windows 10 Mobile app for their watches.  No Android or iOS for me, so no ring either then.
  • What's the battery life?😅
  • Look at the website. It says it.
  • I don't even wear my wedding ring.
  • Lol
  • $249? Yikes. I'll pass.
  • I think the ring applies on MR would make sense.
  • I hope that this is not like Plastc. People lost a ton of money.
  • You can get nfc payment rings, which don't need charging. Sure they don't have a biometric scanner, but they also work via website, and you can just put limited sums of money on there, and turn off the logins and locks if you ever lose it. Honestly I'd rather do it that way, than have to charge YET ANOTHER thing.
  • That's The One ring 💍 to rule them all.
  • Everyone is thinking that haha
  • Wow that is cool. I hate remembering my passwords. I have so many.
  • Its supported by MS, I guess this means we won't see the cool people getting this......
  • Would make for a pretty awesome wedding band.
  • If that thing caches/stores your fingerprint, then what stops someone else from using it?  Does the cached fingerprint get erased once the ring is removed?  Does the user have to scan their fingerprint each time the wear the ring?  How does it work???
  • as answered above, when you take it off it stops working.
    you have to unlock it with your fingerprint to get it working again.
  • Would only be interested in this if it worked with my 950. I want a fingerprint reader to unlock my phone. Iris scanning is way too slow.
  • This is HOT, mind bending, heart stopping, jaw dropping new device! Mind blowing! what else...😍