As regular readers know, I try to live the digital life as much as I can. By “digital life” I mean eschewing paper and paper processes and running as much of my life as possible with my phone and computers.
One of my goals for that digital life is to be able to leave the house and conduct my affairs with nothing but my iPhone. I’m almost there. My current everyday carry is down to just three things:
- My iPhone XR
- A Slim Clip Wallet for drivers license and credit card
- My House key and, if I’m driving, the car key.
I’m close to eliminating numbers 2 and 3.
These days, most cars use an RFD key fob to open the doors and start the engine. There’s no reason this couldn’t be done from a smartphone and, indeed, Hyundai is planning to do just that on next year’s model. Once Hyundai or some other car maker introduces this, the others are sure to follow. There are, of course, security concerns but Hyundai’s implementation appears more secure than the current key fob solution.
For the front door there are several keyless solutions. I want one that I can use my phone to unlock the door with. One of my (security knowledgeable) family members uses the August Smart Lock (there’s a later version) and swears by it. He can even issue temporary codes for guests and workers. I can install this at any time so I’m theoretically down to two must carries.
The final item to eliminate is the wallet. That means getting rid of my credit card and drivers license. Apple Pay has almost eliminated the need to carry credit cards. More and more big chains are adopting Apple pay; I’m mainly waiting for my grocery store (Publix) and couple other smaller venues to get on board.
That leaves only my drivers license. Happily, Florida has bills pending that would implement a digital license stored on your smartphone. Once passed, I’ll no longer need to carry my license except maybe when flying or voting or something similar.
I expect that in the next year or two I will be able to feel comfortable leaving the house with only my phone.