Samsung Pay is to begin rolling out across Singapore on June 16, making it the first country in Southeast Asia to get the mobile payment service. It will launch with support from American Express, MasterCard and Visa and major banks. More
Attendees at the Government of Dubai Media Office’s Arab Media Forum charitable event were given NFC wristbands that let them tap on NFC scan stations and donate AED 170 (US$46) towards research into life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. More
Pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods companies can now add NFC tags and QR codes to packaging in order to send out messages, promotions and offers to their customers’ smartphones using an integrated solution developed by packaging provider Jones Packaging and mobile marketing specialist Tuku. More
Fitness wristband maker Fitbit has acquired the wearable payment assets of connected device maker Coin in a move that will enable the company to add NFC payment capability to its future devices. More
PARTNER NEWS: The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has expanded its Smart City Challenge initiative to include NXP’s RFID tagging solutions and smart card ICs... More
US supermarket chain Walmart has begun rolling out its QR code-based mobile payment service in Arkansas and Texas. Walmart Pay is now available in all 480 Walmart stores across Texas and at more than 110 locations in Arkansas. More
UK consumers will soon be rewarded whenever they are physically active with Sweatcoin — a virtual currency that can be earned by exercising and then exchanged at select retailers via a mobile app set to launch next week... More
Samsung Pay will launch in Singapore in the second quarter of this year, the company has announced, adding it to South Korea, the US and China on the list of Samsung’s “priority markets”... More
Healthcare technology provider MC10 and product solutions provider PCH are to commercialise MC10’s Wearable Interactive Stamp Platform (WiSP), an ultrathin, stretchable and disposable stamp worn on the skin that will enable brands to develop a “variety of consumer applications” including NFC payments. More
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) has formed a specialist consortium to create a UK manufacturing supply chain that will support the widespread adoption of NFC packaging. More
Contactless spending by Barclaycard’s UK customers in pubs and bars, pharmacies, supermarkets and on commuter transport increased 164% in 2015, the company has revealed. More
PARTNER NEWS: NXP has put its support behind two new reference platforms that will enable “innovation and rapid development” for smart wearables. The platforms target a range of internet of things (IoT) applications with open-source hardware and software, form-factor flexibility and expandable solutions for designers to adapt to changing market needs. More
PARTNER NEWS: NXP has unveiled two new NFC products — an improved “connected tag” range designed to add intelligent tap-and-go connectivity to just about any electronic device and the PN7462 family of single chip NFC reader solutions that combine a microprocessor with USB, contact and contactless interfaces... More
PARTNER NEWS: A new reference design for wearables from processor designer ARM includes high-performance NFC technology from AMS that enables small-footprint devices with tiny antennas to couple with NFC readers as easily and reliably as a contactless card... More
A five-page white paper that explains the advantages of NFC for in-home healthcare providers is now available to download from the NFC World+ Knowledge Centre... More
PARTNER NEWS: NXP is to showcase NFC and the Internet of Things (IoT) in a world tour that includes stops in 86 cities. The Smarter World Tour “is a highly visible, 36 tons, 2 levels, fully mobile semi-truck trailer designed by Luigi Colani which turns into a large and spacious mobile tradeshow,” NXP says. More
The Wi-Fi Alliance is extending its support for the internet of things (IoT) market with a new brand name for products incorporating low power, long range IEEE 802.11ah technology... More
Contactless transaction volumes have risen sharply since the UK transaction limit increased from £20 (US$30) to £30 (US$46) in September 2015, research from Barclaycard reveals. Service stations, pubs and bars, supermarkets and fast food outlets have seen the biggest increases. More
Patients will soon be able to identify whether pharmaceutical products are in a factory sealed or opened state and access contextual content with the tap of an NFC phone using a solution developed by Thinfilm and Jones Packaging. The technology will also enable pharmaceutical companies to authenticate products and track individual items. More
Creative studio Chaotic Moon has demonstrated a concept it calls Tech Tats, tattoo-like formations of components and conductive paint that create an electronic circuit which adheres to the wearer’s skin. The temporary tattoos include a microprocessor and the company envisages them performing tasks such as health monitoring or making payments. More
