Geode iPhone case replaces all of your credit cards

A new product from Cambridge, Mass. startup iCache has come up with an innovative iPhone case, which can digitize all of a user’s payment cards and loyalty cards and provides a simple and secure way to present them at checkout at all stores. The Geode case, set to debut in May, provides a separate card swipe reader that allows users to enter data from their magnetic stripe cards into the Geode app. Users can also scan barcode-based loyalty cards into the app using the iPhone’s camera. Once the cards are stored, you can leave the dongle and the physical cards at home. The app is secured using a biometric fingerprint reader, which must be used to unlock the app and input cards.
When it comes time to conduct a transaction, users select a card from the app. If it’s a mag stripe card, they can pull out a universal Geode Card from the back of the case, which is temporarily programmed on the fly with the credentials of the selected card. Users swipe as they normally would and the transactions happens as if the original card was employed. Users can decide how long the card stays active before it automatically erases. It can be as little as 20 seconds or can be hours if the user sees that their phone is low on battery. When choosing a barcode-based card, the Geode displays the barcode on an e-ink display on the back that can be scanned by existing point-of-sale terminals or barcode readers.
Geode is an intriguing idea because if it can work as advertised, it gives people a way to slim down their wallets in a hurry. You’ll still need to carry around a license. And cash is still necessary for many smaller transactions. But for many purchases, you can just carry this case and be done with it. The system appears to be pretty secure with its fingerprint reader combined with automatic time-outs for cards.
Cool, huh?