New bill seeks basic IoT security standards — Krebs on Security — “The bill would require vendors of internet-connected devices purchased by the federal government make sure the devices can be patched when security updates are available; that the devices do not use hard-coded (unchangeable) passwords; and that vendors ensure the devices are free from known vulnerabilities when sold.”
Internet of Things (IoT)
Wirecard explains how the IoT and AI will transform the future of payments
“When it comes to payments and the IoT, we are witnessing a lot of activity and potential within this space,” Jörn Leogrande, executive vice president of mobile services at Wirecard, explains in an in-depth article now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
Wearable ‘Teng’ generators harvest energy from body movement to charge mobiles
Consumers could soon be able to act as their own mobile phone power supply, researchers at the University of Surrey have announced, by simply wearing smart clothing that uses Triboelectric Nanogenerators (Tengs) to harvest and store the static charge generated by their movements... More
What’s New in Payments 2: Special report sets out the latest thinking on the future of payments — free of charge
Payments experts from the European Banking Authority, Yandex, Vodafone, Orange, Dejamobile and Wirecard are among eight contributors to What’s New in Payments: Volume Two, a 76-page special report on the future of payments which is now available to download free of charge from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
US pop band adds NFC tags to merchandise range
Fans of US pop group Airspoken can now access music, videos and other digital content by tapping their NFC mobile devices against NFC tags embedded in the band’s merchandise, from t-shirts, stickers and hats to bracelets and more... More
Alibaba challenges Google, Amazon with new Echo-like device
Alibaba challenges Google, Amazon with new Echo-like device — Bloomberg — “Importantly, the gadget — powered by the AliGenie system — may eventually simplify shopping for the Chinese e-commerce giant’s 450 million active buyers who turn to the website for everything from cherries to makeup. It will begin formal sales from August 8 only for China and won’t come with a display.”
Worldwide spending on the Internet of Things forecast to reach nearly $1.4 trillion in 2021
Worldwide spending on the Internet of Things forecast to reach nearly $1.4 trillion in 2021 — IDC — “A new update to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Semiannual Internet of Things Spending Guide forecasts worldwide spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) to grow 16.7% year over year in 2017, reaching just over $800 billion. By 2021, global IoT spending is expected to total nearly $1.4 trillion.”
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
International standard completed for high rate close proximity wireless communications exceeding 10 Gbps data rate
International standard completed for high rate close proximity wireless communications exceeding 10 Gbps data rate — TransferJet Consortium — “This new standard maintains the intuitive ease-of-use and can instantly transfer any type of data including large 4K definition and VR (virtual reality) video files… The required connection setup time has been reduced to 2 msec or less, allowing new usage scenarios such as the delivery of content while walking through ticketing gates.”
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
Xiaomi and Apple tie for the top position as the wearables market swells 17.9% during the first quarter, according to IDC
Xiaomi and Apple tie for the top position as the wearables market swells 17.9% during the first quarter, according to IDC — International Data Corporation — “The worldwide wearables market maintained its upward trajectory during the first quarter of 2017 (1Q17) with Xiaomi and Apple leading all companies and multiple products experiencing double- and triple-digit growth.”
New CSA report offers observations, recommendations on connected vehicle security
New CSA report offers observations, recommendations on connected vehicle security — Cloud Security Alliance — “The paper will provide a ‘big picture’ view of the various aspects of vehicles and infrastructure components to better understand their interrelationships, dependencies and threats to the traffic ecosystem.”
Using your gait to power and secure devices
Using your gait to power and secure devices — CSIRO — “Researchers from CSIRO’s Data61 have developed new technology which uses the way a person walks, their gait, to power wearable devices. The technology also has the potential to be used as a new authentication method, which could replace passwords, PINs or fingerprints.”
Belgium gets mobile ID platform that will be supported on all SIM cards across the country
Four Belgian banks and three mobile network operators have unveiled a mobile ID platform that will let consumers use a single digital identity to access a range of services such as requesting government documents and confirming online transactions using the SIM card on their mobile phone and a unique five-digit code... More
EU agency calls for action on IoT security
The EU Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) is calling on the European Commission to define a policy framework ensuring minimal requirements for the security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices along with the development of mandatory staged requirements for security and privacy to give stakeholders a “level playing field” in implementing trust into connected devices and IoT systems. More
Control Ikea Home Smart products with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Home app
Control Ikea Home Smart products with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Home app — Ikea — “Ikea is adding functionality to its smart lighting range by enabling people to voice control their lighting with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and to set up and adjust lighting using Apple’s Home app and Siri voice commands. This takes Ikea one step closer to making smart home technology accessible for the many.”
A guide to tokenization — The essential enabler for expanding the world of commerce
Tokenization is an essential enabler for a larger and more complex commerce world as the Internet of Things (IoT) propels payments to a range of new devices, says Proxama’s vice president of product marketing and product management for payments solutions... 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.”
Jailbreak developer hacks NFC on iPhone 6S to talk to NFC devices
Jailbreak developer hacks NFC on iPhone 6S to talk to NFC devices — 9to5Mac — “In a brief video, the well-known developer showcases a jailbroken iPhone 6S interacting with an NFC-enabled tag. The phone promptly responds to the presence of the tag with a notification identifying the tag.”