Funding is being raised on Kickstarter to commercialize an ultra-slim wall plaque that enables visitors to connect to a host’s WiFi network without having to ask for and enter a password, by just tapping their phone on entry to a home or commercial location.

Each 3-inch by 3-inch Pylon features an NFC tag and works in conjunction with an app that lets the owner manage access to the network and a base station that connects to their modem.

Android users can connect to the network via NFC while, for phones that don’t have NFC, the user can “bump” the Pylon with their phone. “The app detects a jolt in the phone’s accelerometer and connects to the Pylon that experienced the same jolt at the same time,” Pylon told NFC World. “Both the iPhone and Pylon have an accelerometer — you can compare functionality to the Bump app in the iTunes store.”

Each Pylon comes with a pre-linked base station and units are available for pre-order from US$85. The team is seeking US$60,000 to put Pylon into production and has raised $12,236 with twelve days to go.

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