A research note published by KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed a number of changes planned for Apple’s so-called iPhone 6s, expected to be unveiled in September, including an improved Touch ID sensor which “will improve the Apple Pay experience with faster, more secure readings,” Apple Insider reports... More
Sensors
Microsoft says Hello to biometric security
Windows 10 users will be able to use biometric technology to secure access to their devices, Microsoft has announced... More
New Pebble could offer NFC strap
Watch maker Pebble has smashed through a US$500,000 crowdfunding target, raising nearly $16m in a matter of days to produce its new Pebble Time smart watch with a colour display... More
Diageo unveils smart whisky bottle with ‘game-changing’ NFC tags
“Smart bottles” that know when they have been opened and then deliver relevant, personalised messages directly to a consumer’s smartphone will be showcased by printed electronics specialist Thinfilm at Mobile World Congress 2015... More
NXP and Enfucell give cold comfort to biopharmaceutical supply chain
Medical staff can now use an NFC phone to check that vaccines, hormones and other biopharmaceutical products have been kept at the correct temperature throughout the supply chain, using a disposable temperature logging foil that can be attached to each individual item... More
Mobile biometrics market to be worth US$33.3bn a year
By 2020, smart mobile devices will include embedded biometric sensors as standard, according to research conducted by Acuity Market Intelligence, creating a US$33.3bn a year market for biometric products and services... More
TempTraq offers wearable Bluetooth thermometer
Printed power solutions provider Blue Spark Technologies has unveiled TempTraq, a thermometer in the form of a patch that adheres to the skin to monitor body temperature for 24 hours and sends the results to a compatible mobile app via Bluetooth... More
VivaLnk shows wearable NFC thermometer
Digital tattoo inventor Vivalnk is to launch an NFC-based wearable thermometer that adheres to skin and provides accurate temperature measurements directly to a smartphone without requiring a battery... More
Danish city installs Bluetooth and WiFi sensors to track shopper behaviour
The Aalborg City Business Association has installed sensors in pedestrian areas of the Danish city to track visitor behaviour using a Bluetooth and WiFi technology platform provided by IT company Blip Systems. More
Ubudu turns beacons into two-way communications devices
Mobile proximity solutions provider Ubudu has unveiled uBeacon Mesh, a platform that enables Bluetooth beacon installations to be used to create two-way mobile communications with consumers... More
TI offers NFC sensors
Texas Instruments has introduced an integrated NFC sensor transponder that combines an ISO 15693 compliant NFC interface with a programmable microcontroller, non-volatile FRAM, an analog-to-digital converter and SPI and I2C interface... More
MIT researchers unveil NFC sensors that detect hazardous chemicals
MIT chemists have devised a way to detect hazardous gases and environmental pollutants using an NFC-enabled sensor and a smartphone... More
Toshiba offers NFC/BLE combi chip
Toshiba has unveiled a dual-function IC that includes both a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio and an NFC Type 3 (Felica) tag... More
White paper explains NFC-enabled sensors and their uses
A new paper that explains how NFC-enabled sensors can be used to deliver service improvements in “hundreds of applications in many market sectors” is now available to download from the NFC World+ Knowledge Centre... More
Broadcom offers IoT developer kit
Chip maker Broadcom has introduced Wiced Sense, a developer kit designed “to enable developers to rapidly prototype ideas and concepts for IoT devices and applications.”... More
Estimote unveils BLE stickers
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon maker Estimote has introduced a new product category that it calls “nearables”, stickers that contain a Bluetooth Smart controller, an ARM processor and both an accelerometer and a temperature sensor... More
iOS 8 to “read” credit cards
Apple has included a new feature in iOS 8 that will allow shoppers to enter their payment details on an mcommerce site by simply scanning their credit card with the camera on their mobile device, 9to5Mac reports... More
Silicon Craft unveils NFC smart poster with multiple touchpoints
Thailand-based technology provider Silicon Craft Technology (SCT) has shown off a low-cost interactive poster that contains multiple touchpoints, enabling one NFC interface to be used to provide consumers with a range of content, coupons and offers from a variety of different promoters... More
Thinfilm shows printed NFC smart label with temperature sensor
Printed electronics specialist Thinfilm has demonstrated an NFC-enabled label that includes a temperature sensor, which can be used to track a product throughout its journey to a store and report on whether or not the item has exceeded a particular temperature threshold at any point... More
Samsung to add biometrics to more devices
Samsung is to include biometric sensors in tablets and low-end mobile phones, delegates at the company’s 2014 Investors Forum in Hong Kong have heard... More