The stock password on a standard Wi-Fi can be a hassle to type into a device to get connected to a Wi-Fi connection, and it can get even worse when someone gets crazy with their own custom option in an effort to keep people off their network.
A company called Ten One Design wants to change that. This group specializes in Apple accessories, and it has just designed a brand new NFC device called the “Wifi Porter” that’s made from hard maple, which will allow guests at a location to quickly tap the puck-sized gadget to quickly log into the local Wi-Fi hotspot without the need of a password. You won’t even need the Wi-Fi’s SSID, either. Just tap and go.
Visitors can also scan a QR code to get on the Wi-Fi hotspot as well, just in case NFC isn’t a possibility. Still, that shouldn’t be an issue in most cases anymore, as Apple’s newer iPhone models support NFC out of the box, as do most Android smartphones out in the wild. Just in case you do need that QR code, though, it’s available on the bottom of the Wifi Porter, so just flip it over and you’ll be able to scan.
(iPhones launched before 2018 will need that QR code.)
You will need a specific app to setup the Wifi Porter. Once you tap or scan on the gadget for the first time you’ll be prompted with a link to download it and set up the device. Once you get it downloaded you’ll just tap the phone or scan the code and select your most recent Wi-Fi networks that you want to set up for others to connect to easily. Once that’s done you’ll tap again to confirm the change (which sets up that tapping gesture to connect to the current Wi-Fi network), and get the option to print out a QR code to put on the underside of the gadget for scanning.
Ten One Design’s Wifi Porter is available right now for $39.95. You can choose to get guest instructions for no additional cost, but either the colorful option or the minimized option won’t start shipping until January 28. There is another option to choose from, with hard maple and Italian leather, that’s priced at $59.95. That will start shipping soon, but you can head through the source link below to sign up for email notifications when it becomes available.
Who’s picking one of these up?
This is a pretty great idea, especially since people who stop into your house (or even a business that sets these up) won’t have to have their guests download a separate app to get connected. Just tap –or scan– and you’re connected, no lengthy passwords necessary. But everything remains secure, too. Priced at $40, too, is a pretty awesome decision.
[via The Verge; Ten One Design]