There is nothing in this world so horrendously inconvenient and uncomfortable as hauling around an overstuffed wallet in your back pocket. You know the type we’re talking about – the ones so bloated with cash, cards, and receipts that they leave a dent in your ass and throw off the alignment of your spine when you sit down.
We’re always on the lookout for ways to minimize what we carry, and a few months ago Silicon Valley finally cooked up one that’s worth writing home about.
Coin is a slim credit card-sized digital storage device that can act as an all-in-one replacement for up to eight different cards. On its backside, it’s outfitted with a magnetic strip just like all your normal cards, but this one can be reprogrammed at the touch of a button to transmit different payment information. This means you can load it with practically anything you swipe (credit cards, debit cards, membership cards, gift cards, etc.) and pull up the appropriate card whenever you need to, all from one card.
To use it, you start by loading your cards’ data onto it by swiping them through a small scanner that connects to your smartphone. Then just snap a picture of the card, and everything will be saved and synced with the device. To cycle through the cards you’ve loaded, just tap on the tiny touch-sensitive button until the small LCD screen displays the one you’re after. After that, just swipe it like you would any other card.
In addition to being super flossy, Coin also offers increased security. It’s equipped with a Bluetooth LE transmitter that communicates with your phone, so if you accidentally leave your card behind and walk away like a buffoon, your phone will send you an alert once you go out of range.
Pre-orders for the device opened up about a month ago, and if you lock one down in the next nine days, you can buy it for just $50 bucks – 50 percent of what it’ll retail for in the future.
