NFC reader IC and 8-bit microcontroller from STMicroelectronics adopted by Rohm for Qi automotive wireless charging design — STMicroelectronics — PARTNER NEWS — “One benefit of ST’s technology contribution is to enable the sophisticated control that makes possible the detection of contactless smart cards in proximity to the charging system in order to halt the charging immediately. This important and appreciated function prevents the failure of those cards due to the strong magnetic field generated by the Qi transmitter.”
NFC
MTS to roll out open loop ticketing on buses and trains in San Diego
MTS partners with Init for account-based fare system in San Diego — Init SE — “Init will deliver about 900 fare validators for use on MTS buses and at rail station platforms. The validators will accept closed-loop payments such as an MTS-branded smartcard and be capable of accepting open payments such as bank-issued debit/credit cards and mobile wallets using Google Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay.”
Apple reports growth in US Apple Pay acceptance
Apple Pay coming to Target, Taco Bell and more top US retail locations — Apple — “Target, Taco Bell, Hy-Vee supermarkets in the Midwest, Speedway convenience stores and Jack in the Box are the latest merchants to support Apple Pay… With the addition of these national retailers, 74 of the top 100 merchants in the US and 65% of all retail locations across the country will support Apple Pay.”
Swatch brings its contactless payments service to Europe
Fashion watch buyers in Switzerland can now choose from one of a range of four Swatch watches that come with support for SwatchPay... More
NFC Forum unveils technical specification that lets IoT devices use a single antenna for both NFC and wireless charging
The NFC Forum has released a new candidate technical specification that is designed to enable a single antenna in an IoT device to be used to manage both NFC communications and wireless charging... More
Apple Pay set to go live in Czech Republic and Slovakia?
Apple Pay expected to launch in Czech Republic and Slovakia in late February to early March — MacRumors — “Apple Pay will launch in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in late February to early March, according to Seznam Zprávy and Živé… Czech Republic’s two largest banks Česká Spořitelna and Komerční Banka, along with mBank, Moneta, and Air Bank, will reportedly be among the first financial institutions to offer Apple Pay to customers in the Czech Republic. Equa Bank and Banka Creditas may follow suit within the first half of the year.”
NXP showcases the future of retail at CES 2019
PARTNER NEWS: NXP is showing off its vision of the future of retail at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with an unmanned store exhibit that demonstrates new interactive and personalised shopping experiences. More
This year’s Golden Globes have an embedded NFC chip that ensures their authenticity
The iconic Golden Globe Awards trophies, presented to film and television stars by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) at a glittering annual ceremony in Los Angeles, have been redesigned this year to include an NFC chip... More
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.”
Michael Kors adds NFC payments to Access Sofie fashion watch
Michael Kors Access Sofie 2.0 announced with flashy looks and lots of features — Techradar — “This new model includes GPS, so you can track your runs without your phone. It has also got NFC, meaning you can make contactless payments with Google Pay, and there’s a heart rate monitor, none of which were offered by the original Access Sofie.”
Motiv to add NFC payments to its fitness ring
Motiv is bringing NFC-based payments to its fitness ring — Techcrunch — “Announced way back at CES 2016, Motiv’s fitness ring was surprisingly capable and accurate for its tiny form factor. Earlier this year, the startup promised to bring even more functionality to the finger, starting with biometric authentication that uses a wearer’s gait to unlock devices. This year at the show, the company’s got a handful of additional new features to show off. Most interesting among them is upcoming addition of mobile payments, via NFC.”
Octopus lets Hong Kong commuters use NFC to link their transit card to their mobile phone
Octopus App enhanced with more customer-centric mobile services — Octopus — “Octopus users with compatible Android NFC devices can simply enter their Octopus number into the Octopus app and tap their Octopus onto the back of their mobile phones. Users with iOS devices (or Android devices without NFC) can enter the Octopus number into the Octopus app, then visit any of the 50 Octopus service points that are conveniently located all over Hong Kong to tap their Octopus within seven days to complete the registration and verification process.”
Metrolinx to let commuters top up their Presto transit card with their NFC phone
New app will let Presto customers pay from their smartphones — Ottawa Sun — “Metrolinx, the Crown agency that oversees the Presto system, has just released a new beta version of an app that will eventually allow customers to avoid the line by loading their cards directly from their smartphones… Users will be able to load funds directly using their debit or credit card, check the remaining balance of their account and set up a notification system to alert them when their funds are too low or their passes near expiry… Android phones with near field communication (NFC) capabilities will be able to load their funds instantaneously by simply pressing their cards against the back of their smartphones.”
Rambus to provide multimodal NFC ticketing solution to South Yorkshire’s bus, tram and train operators
South Yorkshire TravelMaster selects Rambus to deliver innovative e-commerce ticketing system — Rambus — PARTNER NEWS — “The solution will allow customers to purchase a range of flexible multi-operator tickets, valid on any bus, tram or train throughout South Yorkshire, online and in-advance through a retail portal on the TravelMaster website. These tickets can then be loaded onto a smart card via on-vehicle ticketing machines or through NFC-enabled and compatible smart phones.”
BMW launches NFC digital keys for X5 and 8 Series cars
Drivers taking delivery of a new fourth generation BMW X5 SUV or 8 Series Coupe this month are the first to be able to use the luxury car maker’s BMW Digital Key option to lock and unlock their car and start their engine with an NFC phone... More
Swiss competition authority forces Apple to agree to make functional changes to Apple Pay
Apple has agreed to make changes to the way that Apple Pay works following an investigation by Weko, Switzerland’s Competition Commission — also known as Comco — which found that the iPhone maker’s NFC payments service can cause issues with the functioning of the Swiss banks’ Twint mobile payment service... More
German savings banks press Apple to open up its NFC chip
Mobile payment: Sparkassen wants iPhone NFC, but no Apple Pay — Heise Online (translation) — “Apple must open the NFC transmission standard to other payment services, the savings bank association has demanded… Sparkasse offers its own mobile payment app, which until now has only been available for Android devices due to Apple’s NFC blockade. ‘Ultimately, smartphone payments should be possible on all devices, without technical hurdles and restrictions, so that customers can easily choose the right solution for them,’ the association argues.”
Australian banks set to abandon Apple Pay boycott
The three ‘big four’ Australian banks that have held out on offering Apple Pay to their customers after losing a bid to force the iPhone maker to open up its NFC functionality could all now be set to adopt the service in the coming weeks... More
Tappy Christmas! Save the Children raises money with contactless jumpers
Fundraisers wearing Christmas jumpers containing a contactless card reader built into the sleeve are in place at 16 London tube stations today, to raise funds for Save the Children’s annual Christmas Jumper Day appeal... More
Bayern Munich adds NFC ticketing for Apple users at Allianz Arena
Fans of one of Europe’s top soccer clubs will be able to use the NFC functionality in their iPhone or Apple Watch to gain admittance to games at the team’s home stadium from 19 December... More