Mattel to expand its Hot Wheels ID NFC toy range
Mattel is adding a new, lower-cost track option and additional NFC-enabled cars to its Hot Wheels ID range this year, the toy maker has told Engadget... More
Engadget
Facebook Messenger to shutter its P2P payments service in UK and France
Facebook will scrap Messenger payments in the UK and France — Engadget — “Facebook will discontinue peer-to-peer Messenger payments in France and the UK on 15 June, the company told Engadget. ‘After evaluating how we give people the best experiences in Messenger, we made the decision to focus our efforts on experiences that people find most useful,’ Facebook said.”
Kate Spade unveils fashion smartwatch with NFC payments
Kate Spade’s second Wear OS watch gets a serious tech upgrade — Engadget — “The Scallop Smartwatch 2 packs GPS, NFC and heart rate sensors onboard — all things its predecessor didn’t have. But it still retains the scalloped edging around the face like before, and further incorporated the pattern to the edges of this generation’s straps.”
Sneaker Con uses NFC tags to verify the authenticity of traded trainers
Sneaker Con bets NFC will keep fakes off its new shoe-selling app — Engadget — “Every time you buy a pair from the Sneaker Con application, it’ll come with a physical tag attached to the shoes that features NFC. This Legit Tag comes loaded with information about the sneaker you’re getting (including the model name, size, condition and SKU number). To see that, all you have to do is open the Sneaker Con app and tap the authentication tab.”
Amazon to open cashierless stores in Chicago and San Francisco
Amazon will open checkout-free stores in Chicago and San Francisco — Engadget — “Amazon has posted job listings for store managers in both Chicago and San Francisco, making it clear where the automated stores are headed next… Amazon has a building permit for a store in Chicago’s Loop, while a San Francisco Chronicle report claimed that a store would open near Union Square. An earlier Recode scoop asserted that Amazon would open as many as six more stores in 2018, with one possibly coming to Los Angeles.”
First US gym adds support for Apple Watch NFC pairing with exercise machines
Apple Watch GymKit syncing arrives in exactly one US gym — Engadget — “GymKit syncing on the Apple Watch technically arrived with watchOS 4.1, but there’s been one main obstacle to using it: Actually finding a gym that supports it. Only one fitness center each in Australia and the UK have enabled it so far… One solitary gym in New York City, Life Time Athletic at Sky, now has 13 GymKit-capable machines (including treadmills, bikes, ellipticals and stair steppers) that will pair with your smartwatch.”
A biometric ring could replace your passwords, cards and keys
A biometric ring could replace your passwords, cards and keys — Engadget — “With a fingerprint sensor on the inside, it can confirm that you’re the authorized user. Then, you slide on the ring, and an onboard IR optical sensor makes sure the device is still on your finger. As long as you have not taken it off, you can authorize transactions with a tap of your hand… Token transmits the authentication signal over NFC in most situations.”
Samsung Pay now supports HSBC and M&S Bank cards in the UK
Samsung Pay now supports HSBC and M&S Bank cards in the UK — Engadget — “It was only available to customers who bank with MBNA, Nationwide and Santander. Today, it’s playing catch-up with support for HSBC, First Direct and M&S Bank cardholders. While welcome, the app is still missing some of the big British money-lenders including Lloyds Bank and Barclays.”
LG smart watch to offer NFC payments
An LTE-equipped variant of LG‘s new luxury smart watch will offer NFC mobile payment functionality, reports Engadget... More
Video demos show how Apple Pay users will make a payment with the iPhone 6
Videos of Apple staff demonstrating how Apple Pay will be used to make payments in stores and for in-app purchases have now been made available, providing further details of how the new mobile payments service will work... More
Toshiba shows TransferJet kiosk
Toshiba has demonstrated a touchscreen kiosk that combines a wireless charging station, NFC reader and fast data transfer technology TransferJet at the Ceatac 2013 tradeshow... More
Google Play gets NFC vending machines in Japan
Google Japan has unveiled a vending machine that allows consumers to tap to download Android games from the Google Play store via NFC... More
LG NFC phone could be Nexus 5
An LG smartphone which commentators suspect could be the next Google Nexus handset has been spotted passing through FCC approval, reports Engadget... More
Dell adds NFC to XPS 12 laptop
Dell has announced a range of updates and upgrades to its consumer and commercial PC portfolio at Computex 2013, including the addition of NFC functionality to its XPS 12 convertible Ultrabook, Engadget reports... More
Vivo Xplay to come with NFC
Chinese phone maker BBK’s latest device is to come with NFC functionality — and some NFC tags in the box... More
ThinkPads to get NFC payments
Lenovo is planning to bring out a range of ThinkPad tablets or Ultrabooks with NFC payments capabilities later this year... More
HP unveils hybrid PC with NFC
HP has announced the Envy x2, an ultrathin hybrid laptop PC with NFC functionality that features a detachable screen which enables it to work as both a tablet and a notebook... More
Asus preps two Win8 NFC tablets
Tech publication Engadget has spotted that Asus has submitted two tablets running Windows 8 and featuring NFC for FCC approval... More
Pantech P9090 NFC spotted
A new Android 4.0 NFC phone from Korean manufacturer Pantech, the P9090 Magnus, could hit the US market later this year, Technology and Gadgets reports... More
HTC Desire C gets NFC
HTC is to release an NFC version of its new Desire C mid-range phone... More
