On May 7, Mastercardconfirmed the first details of their near field communication (NFC) payment service. Known as PayPass Wallet Services, the new global offering for banks, merchants, and other partners intends to make it easier to make purchases in stores or online both with a mobile phone as well as secure internet purchases.
Visa Europe on Monday revealed that its V.me by Visa digital wallet service will launch in the fall in the UK, Spain, and France. At the same time, payments processor WorldPay will be a key development partner of the platform in the UK. More partners, such as banks and retailers, will be named before the autumn.
Canada is leading the race to develop a fully integrated NFC smartphone payment system according to Reuters. While NFC systems have been set up in other countries for commuters, Japan and South Korea being examples, no country has yet been able to establish more comprehensive transaction system for wider use. Canada is said to have more mobile-ready contactless payment machines installed throughout the country per capita than any other country.
Nokia has unveiled a new version of its Lumia 610 Windows Phone for Orange that also packs NFC support. Until now, the feature has been reserved for handsets higher up in its Lumia range and is the first time it has appeared on its entry-level Lumia smartphone. Nokia says that it has built-in the necessary hardware and software enablers for the implementation of NFC payment and ticketing solutions, while it also compatible with both Mastercard and Visa's POS NFC devices.
Google has announced that it has moved to acquire TxVia, a company that specializes in mobile payment processing technology. In a statement, the search giant notes that the buyout will help the company "accelerate innovation towards our full Google Wallet vision," though the exact terms of the deal have yet to be publicly disclosed.
Chip-based smart card maker On Track Innovations has sued T-Mobile USA because it sells phones equipped with NFC chips. OTI claims such phones violate its patents, though why it doesn't sue the makers of the phones themselves or other carriers that sell the very same phones in some cases isn't known. The lawsuit was filed in a New York federal court, though details such as the amount of damages or a licensing agreement sought haven't been revealed.
An official image of Sony's MT27i smartphone, codenamed the Pepper, has made its way to the public eye. The Chinese blog IT168 has posted a photo of the entry-level smartphone. Although news of the Android device was leaked shortly before the CES show in January, Sony has divulged no planned date for its release.
Isis, which is due to kick off this summer, has now secured cash register and payment hardware makers VeriFone, Ingenico, ViVOtech, and Equinox Payments as partners. They have vowed to integrate the Isis Mobile Commerce Application wireless payments technology into their future products. Isis will use NFC technology for payments, digital couponing, location-based social media offers, and more. It's a competitor for Google's Wallet offering.
Samsung has launched two new initiatives to encourage the usage of NFC mobile payment solutions. The phone and tablet maker has unveiled its official mobile payment app for the upcoming 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games in London later this year. Samsung also announced that it will work with FeliCa to design NFC compatible chip solutions supporting mobile wallet apps for mobile devices in Japan.
LG has unveiled its Tag+ with NFC ahead of the World Mobile Congress. Very similar in concept to the Sony Xperia SmartTags revealed at CES 2012, LG’s Tag+ allows users to take advantage of the NFC technology in its new Optimus LTE Tag to automatically set the phone into user-preset modes. In the example seen in the photo embedded below, LG demonstrates how the NFC-equipped version of the Optimus LTE smartphone can be toggled into car mode, just by placing the phone near the tag for the setting to be applied.
Researchers at security firm Zvelo have released details surrounding a Google Wallet vulnerability that is claimed to leave a user's PIN data exposed. Engineers were reportedly able to develop a crack that quickly determines a user's four-digit PIN, which serves as an essential security layer to prevent the NFC system from transmitting card data without authorization.
Despite the abrupt leaving of its CEO in January, PayPal is unfazed in its mission to make money off in-store payments, AllThingsD learned. Owned by eBay, the outfit had a number of demonstration set-ups of a grocery store, hardware store, and clothing store. In the San Jose area, PayPal has working registers set up in numerous Home Depot locations as part of a pilot program.
RIM has announced that it has teamed with Turkish carrier Turkcell to launch a NFC payment system. The mobile wallet application will initially be available on the BlackBerry Bold 9900, enabling users to make payments by tapping the handset against MasterCard PayPass readers throughout the country and abroad.
Inside Secure has released an update to its open-source Open NFC protocol stack for Android 4.0. Although Google has already created its own code for NFC on the Galaxy Nexus, the Open NFC stack is expected to ease the Ice Cream Sandwich update process for other NFC-equipped Android handsets.
Japan's three largest wireless carriers are uniting to ensure NFC standards compatibility. NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, and SoftBank are establishing the Japan Mobile NFC Consortium to coordinate the adoption of multiple international standards for NFC technologies used in their mobile devices and services. By doing so, the three hope to be able to offer lower-cost NFC services to both Japanese residents ans international visitors.
Intel is taking new steps in its mission toward incorporating NFC chips in its own products, now teaming up with France's Inside Secure, a maker of near-field communications radios. While details of the deal weren't made public, Intel's Mobile Wireless Group will have access to Inside Secure's software, firmware and core hardware technology. With NFC use already on the rise, a proponent the size of Intel can only speed up its availability and adoption further.
Charlie Walton, an inventor who pioneered RFID technology, has reportedly passed away at the age of 89. Walton had worked to develop RFID technology for several decades, receiving his first patent related to the wireless technology in 1973. He eventually amassed more than 50 patents, bringing in royalties to his Sunnyvale, California-based company Proximity Devices.
The GSMA have announced that 45 of the world’s major carriers have committed to supporting SIM-based Near Field Communications (NFC). Among the carriers to pledge their support of the new standard are AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, China Mobile and China Unicom, Vodafone, and Telefonica. In making the announcement, the GSMA have now published (PDF) a new set of industry specifications to further accelerate adoption of the technology.
Nokia is reportedly readying two significant updates to its Symbian operating system, enabling handsets to take advantage of the latest hardware features. Screenshots posted on the Spanish-language site SymbianLatino suggest the releases will follow the company's tradition of using female names as monickers, with the first update labeled Carla and the next version referred to as Donna.
Intel and MasterCard on Monday announced a partnership for NFC on computers that would make online shopping more secure and a better overall experience. Users of ultrabooks are targeted, but future Intel-powered PCs will also benefit from the multi-year agreement, the companies said. The undertaking will focus on bringing MasterCard's NFC-based PayPass technology and Intel's Identity Protection Technology to Ultrabooks.
PayPal has announced that it has updated its PayPal Android app (free, Android Market) to version 3.0. In doing so, it has taken advantage of the P2P protocol within the NFC framework to enable friends to be able to tap their phones together to pay each other. The function is similar to its pre-existing Bump capability, but is now a much more direct action.
Linux 3.1 has progressed from a release candidate to a stable version . Linux's creator, Linus Torvalds, after 10 earlier candidates, has finally frozen the OS and made it available for download (free, GIT version). Key features of the latest version include support for NFC chips and Wii Controllers.
The NFC Forum, an industry association devoted to Near Field Communications (NFC) tech, has just revised its specs, adding a new exchange protocol. Dubbed Simple NDEF Exchange Protocol (SNEP), it allows sending and receiving messages between two NFC-enabled devices. This is an extension of the NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF), which was only applicable to NFC tags in the past.
Amid the buzz surrounding near-field communications (NFC) features on the latest smartphones, Square COO Keith Rabois has dismissed the importance of the transaction technology. Speaking at GigaOM's Mobilize conference, the executive said his company does not believe NFC is "likely to resonate with mainstream Americans."
Broadcom has announced a new series of near-field communication (NFC) chips geared for smartphones and other small devices. The latest offerings are claimed to be significantly smaller than many alternatives, manufactured using a 40nm CMOS process, while also slashing power consumption by approximately 90 percent.
Last-minute leak has Facebook Places using NFC on phones Facebook's annual developer conference known as f8 is scheduled for today, with the latest news of what's going to happen at the event coming courtesy of GigaOM. The source believes Facebook will make an announcement regarding NFC technology, with the social network's Places feature getting the capability. Hardware maker partners are expected to be named here as well.
Korea’s KT telecom giant has developed its own NFC-equipped iPhone case, The Korea Herald is reporting. Near Field Communication technology is in the process of being widely adopted in Korea and the company is at the forefront of promoting the technology. While some phone makers have already developed smartphones equipped with an NFC chip, KT moved to integrate the technology for use with iPhones ahead of Apple in response to customer demand.
The joint venture between AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless that is mobile payment company Isis will get a more than $100 million investment from its founders, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources. The private financing will help the company compete with rival firms that offer mobile payments, including Google. How much funding will come Isis' way depends on how successful the company is at bringing banks and merchants onboard, however.
RIM on Tuesday issued an unusually non-definitive statement on NFC in the BlackBerry Bold 9900 family. The early smartphone pioneer reaffirmed its support for the short-range wireless technology but failed to explain why the GSM-based 9900 is NFC ready while the CDMA version, the 9930, is not. The 9930 on sale at Verizon has the NFC antenna in the battery cover but doesn't have the option to switch it on in software.
AT&T allegedly has no plans to embrace the BlackBerry Bold 9900's near-field communications (NFC) capabilities at launch. Although the hardware is likely to be capable of NFC features when it arrives in the hands of AT&T's customers, unnamed sources have told TechnoBuffaflo the carrier will implement a software block to prevent users to taking advantage of the technology.
HTC leapt into supporting NFC (near-field communications) for the first time with an Android phone. The Stunning uses the short-range wireless to handle mobile payments, which for now is running on China UnionPay's device-independent standard. Roughly a dozen major Chinese cities will get NFC-aware terminals with help from banks to handle the transactions.
A CrackBerry forums member, danny28, posted images of an as-yet unreleased BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone. The photos, embedded below, confirm that the device is indeed equipped with an NFC (near-field communications) radio. The handset is on the left in the comparison shots with the BlackBerry Bold 9700.
PayPal at the the Mobile Beat 2011 conference in San Francisco Wednesday showed off its first Near Field Communications (NFC) widget for Android-powered devices. During a demonstration, funds were transferred simply by running the widget and tapping two Nexus S phones together. The new PayPal NFC widget lets users send or receive money. Holding phones together until they buzz, then entering a PayPal password or mobile PIN is all that's required to complete the transfer.
NXP Semiconductor has unveiled a new product, labeled KeyLink Lite, that serves as a bridge between NFC-enabled vehicles and smartphones. Using short-range communication and encryption, the key securely transfers data between vehicles and mobile devices. In one possible application, the key stores GPS location data as a user exits their car. When the time comes to find the car, the user can bring the key close to their smartphone and quickly use a maps app to find the proper location.
Despite ongoing reports of the company's interest, Apple's plans for NFC remain "unknown," according to NFC chipmaker NXP Technology. Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White notes that NXP spoke at this week's Computex expo in Taiwan. The firm commented that while 80 percent of the smartphone market has already committed to NFC, including Nokia and Research in Motion, there is no clue to Apple's plans.
UK cell provider Orange and Barclaycard have teamed up to launch Quick Tap, a contactless NFC mobile payment service. Using a phone with a specially enabled SIM card, a customer can pay for a purchase simply by touching it to a retailer's contactless reader. Currently there is a limit of £15 ($25 US) for each transaction.
Apigy has introduced the Lockitron, a combination hardware and app kit that replaces the lock on your door with an internet-ready version that allows users to lock and unlock their doors using their iPhone (and eventually other smartphones), even remotely. While utilizing a traditional key and keyfob system for backup, the system also offers an option where users can text or email a "virtual key" code to others who need to enter the house, enabling them to use the system as well. A near-field communication (NFC) version is also in the works.
Isis, the coalition of US wireless carriers AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile to bring NFC payments on handsets to the masses, will not go forward as planned earlier, according to reports on Wednesday. While trials were due to start early in 2012, the three carriers have now purportedly agreed to change their approach and make it less advanced. Instead, they will create a "mobile wallet" that will link users' existing Visa, MasterCard or other major credit cards to the account, though this is not official yet.
Ingenico, a French maker of digital payment terminals for retailers, has recently announced it will partner with Google on bringing Near Field Communications (NFC) applications and terminals for retailers. At the same time, Ingenico's CEO Phillippe Lazare said Google can deliver coupons to a phone using the NFC standard when they simply enter a store. In some cases, users can get the discount upon checking out during that same visit.
Superstore chain Lotte that operates in Japan and Korea in conjunction with mobile provider KT have began accepting NFC payments from compatible phones in Korea. At this point, that includes only the Samsung Galaxy S II on KT's network. NFC, or Near Field Communications, allows for wireless payments by swiping a handset with the compatible hardware and software tied to a user's bank or credit account.
Samsung and Visa have announced a partnership to deliver NFC mobile phone payments for the London 2012 Olympics. The partnership will deliver a special Olympic and Paralympic games handset for sponsored athletes to take advantage of Visa’s contactless payment system. The phone will carry a Visa-enabled SIM card to work with the system that has already been deployed in 60,000 locations throughout London.
Apple has reportedly told UK carriers that the its next-generation iPhone will not include Near Field Communication (NFC). It has been known for some time that Apple is interested in the technology and may plan to incorporate NFC into its devices at some point. However, according report by The Independent, it won’t be incorporated into the iPhone 5 as Apple is concerned by a lack of a clear industry standard for the technology.
Check-in service Foursquare for mobile platforms is testing enabling users to check in to locations by simply running their NFC-equipped handsets to badges, though this is still in the testing phase. This was revealed by a tour of Foursquare headquarters as the team readied a new Foursquare Merchant Platform for the now-launched Foursquare 3.0 that lets stores offer sales for Foursquare members. The sales are categorized as Flash Specials, Friend Specials, Swarm Specials, Newbie Specials and more.
The Bank of America has started a pilot program that involves wireless payments using customers' smartphones, an unnamed source told BGR. Dubbed Mobile Wallet, the system relies on NFC technology and is so far only compatible with BlackBerry handsets. Bank of America sends users an NFC chip-equipped battery cover for their handset along with a microSD card.
RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie confirmed that NFC wireless payment capability is coming to many of its upcoming BlackBerry handsets during a keynote at Mobile World Congress. In doing so, it will join the likes of Nokia and Samsung, who already offer NFC-equipped handsets. Sony Ericsson, LG and HTC promise to bring out such devices soon, before year's end, coinciding with RIM's timing.
German luxury carmaker BMW is planning on bringing out a car key with a built-in Near Field Communications (NFC) wireless link. This technology, which is used in cellphones for payment, will not only allow BMW drivers to pay at checkouts, but also eventually view car status such as how much fuel is left and even make remote purchases using the car's next-generation ConnectedDrive telecom/entertainment system, as BMW explained in a video (below). Incorporating this technology into a car key makes sense, BMW believed, because it's something a person always has on them.
Visa has reportedly started testing a trial deployment of its iPhone-based payment system for a limited number of customers residing in Europe. A NearField Communications World survey conducted by Visa Europe in the UK, Italy, Poland and Turkey suggests 87 percent of iPhone users would consider making mobile payments from the iPhone via an attached accessory.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt posted an editorial on Thursday that outlined a strong emphasis on smartphones for 2011. The company's drive would be "all about mobile" this year and would start with a focus on LTE-based 4G. He explained in the Harvard Business Review that the roughly 8-10Mbps real-world speeds would be key to "new and creative" apps in entertainment and social networking that Google wanted to spur along as quickly as possible.
Two new Android apps have appeared on Android Market as the first with NFC wireless payment options. The first is the US-based Enable Table and will allow restaurant owners to offer discount to regular patrons. The other, Taglet, is from Japan and is more flexible, allowing users to register their NFC compatible devices and create custom NFC tags.
Sony and HID Global today set out a plan to unite FeliCa and near-field communication (NFC) in notebooks. The technique should work with both formats and will give portables a way of paying for items or signing in just by bringing a card or another device up close, whether they're using the Japan-focused FeliCa or more universal NFC. The two are still in early stages and plan to make details and availability known next year.
