Norwich hospital charity introduces cashless donations for visitors — UK Fundraising — “Visitors to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals are now able to make donations to the NHS Trust charity using a variety of tap-to-donate tools ranging from vinyl stickers and ‘smart’ posters… The Trust is also using the technology to turn (charity-funded) wheelchairs into instant donation points.”
Healthcare
Khushi Baby adds biometric security to NFC health records

Khushi Baby, a service that uses NFC necklaces to track the healthcare given to mothers and babies in India, has added biometric security to its platform to further protect the personal information of patients... More
Mastercard and Western Union explore digital model for refugee camps
Mastercard and Western Union explore digital model for refugee camps — Mastercard — “Mastercard and Western Union examined the needs, challenges and opportunities for refugees and their host communities at two settlement camps in northwestern Kenya. The findings have led to the development of Smart Communities: Using Digital Technology to Create Sustainable Refugee Economies, a blueprint that would combine digital access to remittances, banking, education, healthcare and other basic needs.”
More than 22bn secure elements shipped with GlobalPlatform technology
Some 41% of all secure elements deployed globally between 2010 and 2016 were based on GlobalPlatform specifications, totalling 22.018bn, the standards body has revealed... More
NXP issues statement of support for NFC tag reading on Apple devices

PARTNER NEWS: NXP is “excited about the expanding number of users of NFC applications” following the announcement made by Apple earlier this week that it is to add support for NFC tag reading to its iPhone 7, 7 Plus and Apple Watch devices... More
US pharmacy deploys NFC shelf labels for greater product insight

Customers visiting US pharmacy and wellness center Chambers’ Apothecary in Chambersburg can now tap their NFC devices against NFC tags affixed to shelves throughout the store to interact with products and access a “wide variety of information” including user reviews, customer surveys and videos directly on their mobile phone... More
NFC secure element shipments to grow 12% in 2017

Some 560m NFC secure elements will be shipped worldwide in 2017, representing a 12% increase from 2016, smart security industry association Eurosmart reveals. A total of 495m NFC secure elements were shipped in 2015, which increased by 1% in 2016 to reach 500m units. More
Researchers create a T-shirt that monitors the wearer’s breathing rate in real time
Researchers create a T-shirt that monitors the wearer’s breathing rate in real time — Université Laval — “The key to the smart T-shirt is an antenna sewn in at chest level that’s made of a hollow optical fiber coated with a thin layer of silver on its inner surface. The fiber’s exterior surface is covered in a polymer that protects it against the environment… As the wearer breathes in, the smart fiber senses the increase in both thorax circumference and the volume of air in the lungs… These changes modify some of the resonant frequency of the antenna.”
Bakeries, pubs and bars top UK contactless payment locations

The highest percentage of contactless payments across the UK are taking place in bakeries (62.5%) followed by pubs and bars (48.2%), caterers (47.8%), takeaway restaurants (45.5%), news dealers and newsstands (44.9%) and restaurants with 42.7%, research released by merchant services provider Paymentsense reveals. More
WeChat Pay and offline mobile payments see “incredibly high” uptake in China

Nine in ten Chinese mobile internet users (92%) choose mobile payment apps such as WeChat Pay as their primary offline payment method today, research released by Tencent Online Media Group’s newly launched research project China Tech Insights reveals, while “smartphone built-in payment tools” such as Apple Pay are currently used by approximately 12%. More
NXP adds new NFC chips and sensors to secure the Internet of Things

PARTNER NEWS: NXP has unveiled two new NFC chips and a range of NFC offerings designed to “capitalise on the inherent security and interactive capabilities of NFC for advanced product authentication, integrity assurance and enhanced user engagement across consumer manufactured goods, healthcare, retail and other industries”. More
Sensitive drugs at Polish hospital kept safe using NFC temperature data tags

A Polish hospital is using isothermal boxes fitted with NFC data loggers provided by French-Polish startup firm Blulog to measure and record the temperature of vital drugs as they are transported between laboratories and medical staff.... More
CVS tests Apple Pay
US pharmacy chain CVS is testing support for Apple Pay and is “evaluating” mobile payment options, according to AppleInsider... More
Thinfilm to build NFC platform for medical devices
A Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company has partnered with printed electronics specialist Thinfilm to create an NFC OpenSense platform for medical devices... More
Samsung Pay to begin rolling out across Singapore in June

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
Arab Media Forum uses NFC wristbands for charitable donations

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
Jones adds NFC and QR codes to smart packaging with Tuku

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
Fitbit buys Coin’s wearable payment assets

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
US Smart City Challenge adds NXP’s RFID tagging solutions

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
Walmart rolls out Walmart Pay across Arkansas and Texas

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