Japanese-based operator NTT DoCoMo is testing a mobile-phone prototype that would allow consumers to make mobile payments without having to remove their phone from their pocket. The phone transmits an electronic signal through the body, allowing electronic payments to be made with the touch of a finger.

Link to the full article

————————————————————

It sounds really great until I think about how dependent my life becomes on my cell phone.  How would a person’s identity be protected if their cellphone is lost or stolen.  In commercialization, would some other form of identification be needed, like a fingerprint + the signal from the cellphone?  Hmm… could this lead to the need for everyone to have a chip implanted that contains ID verifying information?  Eitherway, I look forward to the obsolescence of cash and coins for everyday use.