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This Company Wants You to Wear Your SIM Card Japanese mobile-carrier DOCOMO unveils its Portable SIM prototype, a wireless-technology device that could make waves in the world of wearables.

By Nina Zipkin

If the life of your phone has ever been claimed by a freak coffee spill, you are familiar with your cell's SIM card. The little memory chip lets users switch over numbers, passwords, texts and contacts to a new phone in the event your current one meets the untimely demise of liquid spillage. One company is looking to alter the inevitable outcome (a new phone) by shifting SIM cards into the world of wearable technology

DOCOMO, one of Japan's biggest mobile carriers unveiled their the first "SIM-based authentication device" prototype this week. Named Portable SIM, the card can be waved over any given device and your info can be swapped from a phone to a tablet or computer. This is achieved using wireless technologies Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (similar to Bluetooth but only requires devices to touch to establish a connection) to exchange data.

Related: This Luxe Smartphone Could Be Yours for $10,000

The company, which also recently rolled out a line of smart clothes and a fitness-tracking wristband, is still in the research stage. DOCOMO is working to shrink the 8-by-4-centimeter prototype to wearable size and understand how to use it to link up with devices like TVs and smart-car systems. Information about when it will be available to consumers has not been released.

While Portable SIM could be quite convenient, there is still the question of security. The company explained in its statement that one way they are working to insure that subscriber identities are kept out of hacker hands is by locking the phone number when the Bluetooth link is broken. However, the wearable-tech enthusiasts that decide to bring their Portable SIM poolside are on their own.

What crazy apps and gadgets have you come across lately? Let us know by emailing us at FarOutTech@entrepreneur.com or by telling us in the comments below.

Related: Why the Future of Retail Will Blow Your Mind

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

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