A new NFC wristband helps users turn off alarms and turn up the volume — without ever having to touch their smartphones.
Created by a group of Spanish university students, the 13.56 is a bendable gadget that's currently looking for funding on Kickstarter.
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Once a user downloads the 13:56 app, the wristband transforms the back of his or her smartphone into a "big button," co-creator Guillermo Banderas told Mashable. Two "tags" inside the wristband communicate different commands to the phone, based on whatever program it's already running.
For example, if an alarm goes off, users can silence it with one wristband tag, or set it to snooze with the other. If music is playing, the 13:56 can switch songs or adjust the volume. It works through clothing, too, so users can control music they're listening — even with their phone stuffed in a pocket.
What's more, the wristband is waterproof, and uses near field communication instead of batteries, so it'll keep working for awhile.
"The wristband is designed to be used every day, and it will become almost a part of your body in your day-by-day living," Banderas said in an email. "This is one of the reasons why we have chosen natural rubber as the main material of our gadget, because it provides high resistance and durability."
As of this writing, the 13:56's Kickstarter campaign has raised around 4,000 euros ($5,500) of its 20,000 euro goal ($27,000), with 15 days remaining. Items for backers include two company stickers and a mention on their website for $6.75, a black or white wristband for $33.75, as well as a wristband inscribed with the pledger's name and a company t-shirt for $126.90
Would you use an NFC wristband? Tell us in the comments, below.
Image: Flickr, snck