B2B news, analysis and educational resources on the latest trends and technologies in payments, transit ticketing, near field communication (NFC) and contactless, and beyond
Joint venture of Alibaba Group and Marriott International trials facial recognition check-in technology — Marriott International — “The pilot will kick off from July 2018 at two Marriott International properties in China — Hangzhou Marriott Hotel Qianjiang and Sanya Marriott Hotel Dadonghai Bay, with the goal of global rollout across Marriott International’s properties in the future… Chinese guests simply need to scan their IDs, take a photo and input contact details on a self-help machine. The intelligent device will then dispense room key cards after identities and booking information are verified.”
PARTNER NEWS: A presentation that sets out the potential of the Okey — a standalone, multifunction NFC keyfob that can store multiple contactless payment, transit, loyalty and identity cards — is now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
Seat and Saba present Droppit, the app that delivers your grocery shopping directly to your parked car — Seat — “The six-month pilot test of this project, in collaboration with virtual supermarket Deliberry and courier company Glovo, will be carried out in two car parks managed by Saba in the city of Barcelona… The customer leaves their car keys with Saba staff, who are responsible for accompanying the delivery person, identifying the car and placing the order in it. In the future, the aim is to make the process easier using technology that enables the service providers to access cars using fingerprint recognition supported by the app itself.”
JD.com, electric car maker Nio partner on ecommerce delivery-to-vehicle service — Marbridge Daily — “JD.com’s self-operated logistics service JD Logistics and Nio are in the process of connecting their systems so that consumers will be able to select ‘delivery to vehicle’ when purchasing goods through JD.com. Using the vehicle’s location, an authorized delivery agent will deliver the package within a given time window to the recipient’s trunk, which will be accessed via keyless entry.”
Fashion brands looking to include payments capabilities in their wearable devices need solutions that are pre-certified, inexpensive, easy to implement and offer the wearer the ability to quickly and easily add their choice of payment, transit, loyalty and identity cards throughout the lifetime of their watch or fashion accessory, wearables platform provider Fidesmo explains in a new white paper which is now available to download free of charge from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
Introducing Amazon Key, a new level of delivery convenience for Prime members — Amazon — “Available initially in 37 cities across the United States, Amazon’s innovative new service enables in-home delivery at no extra cost. Amazon Key also allows customers to grant secure home access for guests and, coming soon, tens of thousands of service providers, such as Merry Maids, Rover and professional services from Amazon Home Services. Amazon Key includes the Amazon Key app, a smart lock and the company’s newest device, Amazon Cloud Cam, an intelligent indoor security camera.”
BMW says car keys may be replaced by mobile phone apps — Reuters — “BMW is reviewing the necessity of car keys, Ian Robertson, the company’s board member responsible for sales told Reuters. The fact that customers now all carry a smartphone and the availability of a BMW app which allows customers to unlock their vehicle has made old fashioned keys less relevant.”
Meet the car key that’s also a contactless payment card — Techradar — “DS Automobiles has just launched the UK’s first contactless payment car key. Made for the DS 3 Connected Chic, the key works with Barclays’ bPay platform, allowing you to ‘top up’ the clever key with credit that can be spent at any shop that offers contactless payments.”
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.”
New York forces smart lock maker to improve its security — Engadget — “Utah-based Safetech Products has agreed to encrypt all of its smart lock passwords, electronic keys and other credentials within its locks, prompt users to change the default password upon initial setup and establish a more comprehensive security program.”
The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) has outlined how technologies such as NFC and Bluetooth can be used for digital car keys in a white paper discussing its Digital Key project — a standardisation effort for digital key adoption... More
Homeowners with smart home company August’s Smart Lock system are now able to ask an Amazon Alexa-enabled device to unlock their front door using their voice and a secure voice PIN of four to 12 digits... More
Holidaymakers aboard Carnival Corporation cruise ships will soon be given an NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled wearable device, designed by the man behind Disney’s MagicBand, that will let them access a range of next generation services including boarding without checking in, unlocking rooms, accessing personalised entertainment, ordering food and making payments. More
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics (ST) will use its July acquisition of NFC and RFID products, resources, technologies and intellectual property from AMS to create a new generation of high-performance NFC solutions for both mass-market and vertical-market applications, the company’s Sylvain Fidelis and Mark Dickson have told NFC World... More
A facial biometric authentication service for money transfers has been launched by Korea International Trade Association subsidiary Korea Trade Network (KTNET), in collaboration with biometrics provider Daon and the Korea Smart Authentication Corporation... More
Luxury car manufacturer Jaguar is working on a facial and gait recognition system for vehicle owners to unlock their cars, enhancing the development of “vehicle personalisation”, according to a patent filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office last month... More
Internet of things, monitoring for insurance and mobile wallet expansion are three of the key emerging smartwatch app trends found in research by Parks Associates... More
French NFC trade association AFSCM has partnered with three major mobile network operators to roll out SIM-based NFC services in France. The association is working with Oberthur Technologies (OT) to build a common hub with Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR which will enable a “massive launch of NFC services” in the country. More
UK fashion retailer Topshop has launched the second collection of Topshop x bPay, a range of accessories that incorporate Barclaycard’s bPay contactless payment technology and enable shoppers to make tap and go payments at contactless terminals. More
