Shipping giant Maersk is to introduce a new service that will enable refrigerated container (reefer) operators to efficiently monitor the status of their goods-in-transit wherever they are in the world, using an NFC-enabled tracking system that supports GPS location, temperature readings and alarms, optional G-shock recording and the potential to automate a range of government approvals... More
Cruise operator Carnival Corporation has been granted a series of patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its Ocean Medallion, a wearable device that combines NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to provide passengers with a wide range of payments, access control and information services... More
NFC World partners Antelop Solutions, Dejamobile, HID Global, NXP, Okey Co and STMicroelectronics will be attending Trustech in Cannes, France from 27 to 29 November... More
Tory Burch launches its Classic Gigi as the brand’s first touchscreen smartwatch — Tory Burch — “This new piece is a state-of-the-art smartwatch that balances fashion and function with features that include heart-rate tracking, swimproof functionality, payment methods, untethered GPS and more… Powered with Wear OS by Google and Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC, the new ToryTrack Gigi Touchscreen Smartwatch is compatible with both iPhone and Android phones.”
Hello Misfit Vapor 2 — Misfit — “Vapor 2 provides users with an elevated smartwatch experience boasting new features such as two different size options, new and improved heart rate tracking, standalone GPS, and NFC support… Misfit Vapor 2 launches on the heels of and is powered by the new Wear OS by Google.”
This tech nonprofit Is trying to help homeless people get IDs — Motherboard — “Mini City distributed 500 NFC-enabled wristbands — similar to FitBits or Nike FuelBands — to expand its services to Atlanta’s homeless. Each wearable holds an identifier number given to homeless citizens when they begin the process of obtaining a government ID. Users unlock Mini City’s app by tapping the wristband on a tablet at Salvation Army and other nonprofits like ReStart Atlanta — allowing them to book shelter beds, find nearby employment and medical resources, and check the status of their ID applications.”
SoftBank and Yahoo Japan-backed PayPay is to go live in Japan on 4 December with a 10bn yen (US$88.6m) promotional campaign that will see users receiving a 20% cashback on all the purchases they make with the new QR mobile payments service between the launch date and 31 March 2019, up to a monthly cashback total of 50,000 yen (US$443) per customer... More
Apple, Samsung contactless payment systems to appear in Azerbaijan — Trend News Agency — “Apple Pay and Samsung Pay payment services will appear in Azerbaijan in 2019, head of business development and digital payment department of MasterCard Hakan Tatlici told Trend.”
STMicroelectronics has released an evaluation board that lets developers design and prototype solutions that combine NFC tag reading, energy harvesting and security with environmental monitoring sensors to track and protect a wide range of sensitive products throughout the supply chain, in stores and in the home... More
Amazon Pay accepted here? Web giant aims to put digital wallet in stores — The Wall Street Journal — “Amazon.com Inc is gearing up to challenge Apple Inc in the mobile payments race. The e-commerce giant is working to persuade brick-and-mortar merchants to accept its Amazon Pay digital wallet, according to people familiar with the matter, attempting to expand a service now used primarily for purchases online.”
The percentage of payments made with a mobile phone in UK stores has jumped from 1.3% in Q3 2016 to 5.6% in Q3 2018, an analysis of 190m card transactions has shown... More
Customers of India’s IndusInd Bank can now apply for Nexxt, a bank card that features three built-in buttons which the cardholder can use to choose between charging a purchase to their credit card account, taking out a loan or paying for the item with their reward points balance... More
Start spending immediately after signup with Google Pay — Monzo — “If you sign up to Monzo today on a compatible Android phone, you’ll be able to add your Monzo card to Google Pay immediately, without waiting for the physical card to arrive in the post… We’re also bringing ‘in-app provisioning’ to Google Pay, which means you can add your Monzo card to Google Pay from the Account tab with just a couple of taps. No need to go to the Google Pay app to initially add your card.”
Australian airline Qantas has begun testing a new service that lets passengers pre-enrol at home for its facial recognition-based digital boarding service by using the NFC functionality in their Android mobile phone to capture the photo stored in their passport’s security chip... More
Upmarket furniture, interior and lighting design brand Moooi is adding an in-house designed high security NFC tag to all its products to provide customers with a guarantee that they are purchasing an official Moooi product rather than a fake... More
Beauty giant L’Oréal has launched an NFC-enabled sun safety sensor that measures the wearers exposure to UV light and comes with a companion app that iPhone users can use to tap their sensor to get advice tailored to their skin tone and skin type... More
Swiss watchdog investigates banks over alleged payments system boycott — Reuters — “Switzerland’s competition watchdog has raided the offices of financial companies, including Credit Suisse and UBS, to investigate a suspected boycott of mobile payment solutions such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay… ‘There is the suspicion that the companies agreed not to make their credit cards available for use with Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, in order to favor the Swiss solution Twint,’ competition commission Weko said.”
Walmart is expanding its Check Out with Me service to all its 3,000+ Supercenters across the US “just in time for the holidays”... More
Belgian bank KBC is inviting customers to take part in a year-long wearable payments pilot, with each being offered the choice of testing an NFC-enabled ring, keyfob, wristband or watch... More
Deutsche Bank has launched Yunar, a wholly-owned subsidiary startup that is taking a loyalty-first approach to building out a fully featured mobile wallet by initially offering a simple way to manage up to 200 loyalty points schemes — and then gradually adding a range of mobile payments and banking services as adoption takes off... More