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Connected Objects Wallets

The Cashew Smart Wallet drives would-be thieves nuts

One of the worst feelings in the world is misplacing a wallet. Not only is money lost, but time too since all of the cards within need to be reported lost or stolen before waiting a week or two for replacements. In this day and age of connected goodie, Revol Inc. didn’t think all this hassle was necessary, creating the Cashew Smart Wallet as an answer.

The Cashew is a clamshell-like smart wallet made of a scratch and water-resistant polycarbonate that can hold up to eight cards and 30 types of currency. What make it special is that it sports a biometric fingerprint reader and smartphone connectivity, working together to keep its contents secure both from thieves and users themselves. To set it up, a user need simply to open up the companion iOS/Android app, sync the wallet via Bluetooth, and register their fingerprint on the app.

When done, the fingerprint reader locks anyone else out of the wallet while a Bluetooth notification prevents users from walking too far away from Cashew. If it’s misplaced, a buzzing feature forces it to make a sound so that it’s easier to find. If the unfortunate happens and it’s lost completely,  users can take advantage of the app’s crowdsourced GPS technology to inform users of their wallet’s location once another Cashew user gets close enough.  $130 gets interested backers a Cashew wallet by October 2016 should its Kickstarter campaign raise $40,000 by June 4th, 2016.

The Jayster does the same at a much more palatable price point but lacks a fingerprint reader, the crux of the Cashew and what really makes it interesting. With the capability of holding 20 different fingerprints and a battery charge for nine months, the Cashew is mighty useful — even if its a bit clunky for a wallet.

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