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A new kind of digital wallet (photos)

iCache's new Geode iPhone cover comes with a fingerprint sensor and a transformable card, bringing new meaning to mobile payments.

Roger Cheng
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Roger Cheng
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1 of 9 Roger Cheng/CNET

Making mobile payments with a transformable card

iCache's Geode mobile payment system managed to drum up some buzz at the show, winning a CTIA award under the mobile commerce category. Pictured here are pre-production models that aren't an indication of the quality of the finished product.
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2 of 9 Roger Cheng/CNET

The Geode comes in pieces

Like many other heavier iPhone covers, the Geode snaps together, enclosing the iPhone in a protective case. On the back is a sleeve for a programmable smart card, which can take on the identity of any one of your other credit and debit cards.
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3 of 9 Roger Cheng/CNET

The Geode comes with an e-ink display

The cover also packs an e-ink display on the back that can display the bar code of any loyalty program card, eliminating the need to carry around a bunch of cards on your keychain.
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4 of 9 Roger Cheng/CNET

The programmable card

You use the included iPhone app to choose which card to use, and the appropriate data is input into the programmable card. For security's sake, there is a time limit.
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5 of 9 Roger Cheng/CNET

Fingerprint recognition adds secure element

The Geode comes with a biometric scanner, and the app won't actually work without an accurate thumbswipe. iCache says it plans to do more with that scanner down the line.
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6 of 9 Roger Cheng/CNET

Storing your credit cards

You can store as many different credit cards as you want, and pull them up in quick fashion.
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7 of 9 Roger Cheng/CNET

Adding new cards

Users can add new credit, debit, and loyalty cards, freeing them up from having to carry a bunch of cards in their wallets or purses.
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8 of 9 Roger Cheng/CNET

A bulkly design

Given all of the hardware features on the Geode, the case is fairly large, and makes the usually svelte iPhone look fat. But that's the price for mobile payments.
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9 of 9 Roger Cheng/CNET

Entering the card information

Each Geode unit comes with an attachable mag strip reader. Users can swipe their different cards to enter it into the system.

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