Students at an additional 12 US universities will be able to use their iPhone or Apple Watch “to get into dorms, buy lunch and more” in the coming school year, Apple has announced... More
Access control
US Army to issue soldiers with wearable contactless IDs
The US Army is looking to replace its current smartcard-based Common Access Card (CAC) with “wireless, lightweight, flexible and rugged” wearable contactless identity tokens that can be inserted into a soldier’s pocket, attached to a sleeve or integrated into a wristband... More
Contactless diamond bracelet lets owners spend up to £1m
Swiss FinTech brand Armillion has unveiled the ultimate in wearable technology: a contactless payment bracelet that’s decorated with 252 cut diamonds, costs more than £60,000 (US$78,362) and can be used for purchases of up to £1m (US$1.3m)... More
Marshall University lets students add campus cards to iPhone and Apple Watch
Marshall ID cards now available on iPhone and Apple Watch — Marshall University — “By simply placing their iPhone or Apple Watch near a reader where physical student IDs are accepted, users can enter residence halls and libraries, access dining plans, purchase food, buy items in the university bookstore or in vending machines, print documents and more.”
Johns Hopkins University rolls out support for iOS and Android campus cards
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has become the fifth university in the US to enable its students to load their campus card onto their iPhone or Apple Watch... More
Alibaba hotel unveils face recognition room entry
Chinese technology and retail group Alibaba has opened a hotel which uses the facial recognition biometric to secure guests’ rooms and the lifts... More
Hyundai replaces car keys with smartphone app and NFC
Hyundai Motor Group is enabling drivers to access their car and start the engine using a smartphone app and NFC instead of a physical key... More
NXP opens doors in China with RocketXS NFC electronic locks
NXP drives convenience in Chinese Access Market with ‘RocketXS’ — NXP — PARTNER NEWS — “The RocketXS solution allows a quick and reliable unlocking via fingerprint, Bluetooth Low Energy and NFC. It also takes convenience and security to the next level as all NFC cards in a user’s wallet (phone) can be set as a door key. This means that the real key is hidden and only the user himself knows which one is right and thus increases the difficulty of break-ins and hacking.”
Tappy Technologies joins the NFC World Partner Program
PARTNER NEWS: Hong Kong-based Tappy Technologies offers a range of wearable payments products including watch straps, wristbands and key fobs that come with an embedded contactless payment chip... More
ST launches NFC universal device for next-generation POS terminals
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has begun shipping the ST25R3916, an NFC universal device that contains “innovative features to simplify the design of payment terminals and ease compliance with new EMVCo 3.0 contactless interoperability tests for cards, mobiles, and wearables.”... More
SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom to build blockchain-based digital ID platform
SKT teams up with Deutsche Telekom for blockchain biz — Korea Times — “SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom’s T-Labs will work together to develop and commercialize blockchain-based mobile identification that can be utilized in various areas including access control, dealings and contracts… The firm said blockchain-based digital identification could also replace identification cards issued by the government such as passports.”
Apple patent allows drivers to secure vehicles with Touch ID on their phone
Apple has applied for a patent for a system that uses the Touch ID or Face ID biometric authentication facility on its phones to unlock a car... More
Temple University switches on support for iPhone campus cards
Students and staff at Temple University in the US can now use their iPhone or Apple Watch as their campus identification card... More
NXP showcases the future of retail at CES 2019
PARTNER NEWS: NXP is showing off its vision of the future of retail at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with an unmanned store exhibit that demonstrates new interactive and personalised shopping experiences. More
BMW launches NFC digital keys for X5 and 8 Series cars
Drivers taking delivery of a new fourth generation BMW X5 SUV or 8 Series Coupe this month are the first to be able to use the luxury car maker’s BMW Digital Key option to lock and unlock their car and start their engine with an NFC phone... More
Hyundai to let drivers unlock cars with their fingerprint
Hyundai Motor develops biometrics to open, lock and start car engine — Pulse — “The company claimed its system is the first of its kind in the world. It said there have already been fingerprint verification systems for starting the engine but applying the technology to open the door has remained a challenge. It said its fingerprint system was fortified to withstand harsh weather conditions like scorching sunlight and strong snowstorm, ensuring secure operation of its fingerprint door-locking system.”
Bayern Munich adds NFC ticketing for Apple users at Allianz Arena
Fans of one of Europe’s top soccer clubs will be able to use the NFC functionality in their iPhone or Apple Watch to gain admittance to games at the team’s home stadium from 19 December... More
Carnival gets patents for NFC wearables on cruise ships
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
Telecoms boss gets NFC access control chip implanted in hand
Staff at Estonian telecoms operator Tele2 have been fitted with NFC chips implanted in their hands — and the first in line was the firm’s chief executive... More
GlobalPlatform adds financial configuration that makes it easier to add payment, access control and transport ticketing applications to wearables
GlobalPlatform enhances secure element deployment for payment-enabled wearables — GlobalPlatform — “Wearables such as smart rings and smart wristbands are bridging the gap between simple cards and feature-rich smartphones by enabling consumers to pay, unlock and travel with a tap,” comments Gil Bernabeu, technical director of GlobalPlatform. “This new configuration standardizes all of this, saving implementers time and money, increasing revenue opportunities and enriching the experience for consumers.”