Nokia and NFC marketing specialist Wooshping have teamed up to put 1,500 NFC-enabled advent calendars in mobile phone stores across the UK. The ‘appvent’ calendars offer a different app, as well as the traditional chocolate treat, each day in the run up to Christmas. More
Finnish phone maker Jolla‘s new smartphone is to ship with a selection of smart rear covers, known as “The Other Half”, that include NFC and are used to automatically change the device’s settings and functions to the user’s preset favourites... More
Mobile network operator China Telecom is to launch an NFC mobile wallet in China later this year, in cooperation with more than a dozen financial institutions... More
SimplyTapp, the US startup which created Host Card Emulation, bypassing the need to use a carrier controlled SIM-based secure element in NFC transactions, has raised a Series A funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners... More
Eight out of ten testers of the Hungarian mobile wallet pilot project have found the service “very useful” prompting the Hungarian Mobile Wallet Association — an alliance between mobile network operators Magyar Telekom, Vodafone and Telenor with MasterCard, OTP Bank and SuperShop — to declare the MobilTarca wallet ready for market... More
An Australian startup is to begin issuing NFC tags that act as Bitcoin wallets, NFC readers that merchants can use to charge customers in Bitcoins, and to provide Bitcoin ATMs that can be used to issue new wallet tags as well as top up and withdraw funds from Bitcoin accounts. More
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston has published a summary of a June meeting of its Mobile Payments Industry Workgroup (MPIW) that sets out a number of reasons why NFC has not yet taken off in the US... More
The Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) has issued Best Practice for NFC Mobile Payment in Hong Kong, a set of common standards and best practices that aims to help establish an interoperable, as well as safe and effective, NFC mobile payment infrastructure... More
Chinese supplier OrientDeal has launched the OrientPhone P6 Plus, an OEM NFC smartphone with a 6-inch Full HD display and 13 megapixel rear camera... More
The number of consumers with an NFC phone has doubled since 2012 according to Deloitte‘s third annual Global Mobile Consumer Survey, with 10% of 37,600 consumers surveyed in 20 countries saying they know that they have the technology embedded in their smartphone... More
Thirty US department stores are to place NFC labels on items in their shoe sections, letting shoppers tap a product to find out if their size and preferred colour is in stock and, if not, get details of the nearest store that has stock available or place an online order for later delivery... More
Mobile network operator Vodafone‘s NFC mobile wallet is going live today in Spain, will be available in Germany in mid-December and expand to the Netherlands, UK and Italy in spring 2014... More
US carrier joint venture Isis has introduced the Isis Alliance Program, an initiative designed to support “merchant technology ecosystem partners with exclusive tools and resources to capitalise on the opportunities created by mobile commerce.”... More
German startup ConfGames is using NFC tags to add game mechanics to conferences with the aim of encouraging networking and interaction between visitors and sponsors. More
Swiss online fashion store Heidi.com is to use NFC to identify shoppers and drive personalized communications between the brand and its customers when it opens its first brick and mortar store in Neuchatel, Switzerland... More
Porsche Design has redesigned BlackBerry’s Z10 NFC smartphone with a sleeker shell and leather rear cover to create the US$2,350 P’9982... More
The next event in NFC World’s free educational webinar series, to be held from 13:00 to 14:00 GMT on Thursday 12 December, will focus on using NFC in toys and games... More
Thailand-based NFC designer Silicon Craft Technology has developed a passive NFC transponder chip aimed at the toy, advertising and souvenir markets that harvests energy provided by an NFC interaction and uses it to power sounds and LED lights... More
Dutch healthy eating restaurant Popolare has introduced an NFC ordering system, designed to reduce the need for waiting staff while ensuring meals are delivered as fast and fresh as possible... More
Marvel Studios’ latest blockbuster has been promoted in France via NFC posters placed below the surface of glass-topped dining tables in participating cafes and restaurants. More