Photo: pixabay
Yeah, it looks like sooner or later, most things you do outside your house will require you to have a smartphone. Facebook, Google and other Internet giants won’t be the only ones knowing your identity as police will do that too.
Don’t worry, it’s not mandatory, but a new mobile app made by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) will give drivers the option to leave their plastic license’s home and get digitally identified right from the screen of their smartphones.
The app will require a PIN number to show the personal info on screen which then could be scanned by a police officer with another device for further processing. You wouldn’t give your personal phone to a stranger to fiddle with it, right? Residents could also have the option to present insurance information on the screen as well.
Another advantage is that you won’t have to wait for the physical document to be emitted after passing the driving exam. The proof will be instantly available within the app.
And if the app gains popularity in time, more businesses and states will probably adopt digital licenses along with digital payments, meaning your wallet will turn obsolete. You could replace it with a backup battery in case your phone runs empty.
DOT said nothing about when the functionality will roll out, but it did say it will be tested on a small group of state employees for about 6 months first. So even if that phase starts now, you won’t probably be using it in the first part of 2015.
The app will require a PIN number to show the personal info on screen which then could be scanned by a police officer with another device for further processing. You wouldn’t give your personal phone to a stranger to fiddle with it, right? Residents could also have the option to present insurance information on the screen as well.
Benefits?
The obvious one is that your wallet will be thinner without the physical documents and you’ll never forget them home again. I’ve never heard of somebody leaving their houses without their smartphones. That’s like the main thing you check your pockets for before exiting the door, along with the keys and some cash.Another advantage is that you won’t have to wait for the physical document to be emitted after passing the driving exam. The proof will be instantly available within the app.
And if the app gains popularity in time, more businesses and states will probably adopt digital licenses along with digital payments, meaning your wallet will turn obsolete. You could replace it with a backup battery in case your phone runs empty.
DOT said nothing about when the functionality will roll out, but it did say it will be tested on a small group of state employees for about 6 months first. So even if that phase starts now, you won’t probably be using it in the first part of 2015.
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