Toshiba has introduced an NFC Forum Type 3 tag chip that includes a wired interface, enabling it to be used to collect and store dynamic data generated by “normally standalone products, such as calculators, clocks, and healthcare items”... More
Technology
New IoT consortium launches
Atmel, Broadcom, Dell, Intel, Samsung and Wind River have formed the Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC), a new industry grouping that aims to improve the interoperability and define the connectivity requirements for the Internet of Things (IoT)... More
Microsoft joins IoT alliance
Microsoft has joined the AllSeen Alliance, an association formed in December 2013 with the aim of creating a set of open standards for the Internet of Things (IoT)... More
Survey finds American cardholders are ready for EMV
Almost 70% of Americans believe that EMV chip technology makes their debit and credit card transactions more secure, with only 5% feeling chip cards make their transactions less secure, a new survey released by NXP Semiconductors has revealed... More
Yapital tests fingerprint payments
Retailer-owned mobile payments provider Yapital is testing the use of fingerprint biometrics to replace PIN entry when paying by smartphone... More
Samsung adds Galaxy S5 Mini
Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S5 Mini, a compact version of their latest flagship smartphone... More
Nigerian farmers use NFC to access seed and fertilizer subsidies
“In some parts of the developed world, NFC can sometimes be a solution looking for a problem but we’ve got plenty of problems here in Africa and it is an ideal solution for quite a few of them,” says mobile money expert Susie Lonie. More
Chromecast to use ultrasonic connectivity to pair mobiles and TVs
Google’s Chromecast media streamer, which enables users to send shows, movies, music and more to large screens, is to use a new ultrasonic connectivity technology to enable mobile devices to be paired with a Chromecast-equipped television, GigaOm reports... More
Android L speeds up NFC P2P sharing
New support for Android Beam, the name used for NFC peer-to-peer sharing in Android, is to be introduced with Android L, version 5.0 of Google’s operating system... More
Android L to offer wide range of new features for mobile payments and commerce
The next generation of Android, unveiled at the Google I/O developer conference, will offer mobile payments, banking and commerce providers a wide range of new functions... More
Carrefour and Nisa track shoppers via Bluetooth beacons in trolleys and baskets
Supermarket giant Carrefour and convenience store group Nisa are piloting a new technology that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons attached to trolleys and baskets to track a shopper’s journey around the store... More
GSMA supports HCE guide
A guide to host card emulation (HCE) and SIM-based NFC payments options has been produced by Consult Hyperion, in conjunction with GSMA... More
SimplyTapp offers DIY HCE
SimplyTapp, the US startup that worked with Google to add support for host card emulation (HCE) to Android, is now offering a self-service platform for card issuers and other mobile app developers looking to pilot HCE solutions... More
SimAlliance: HCE will grow the market for SIM-based NFC payments
Host Card Emulation (HCE) is likely to lead to higher demand for SIM-based NFC payments services and new opportunities for mobile network operators, SIMalliance — which initially warned against HCE for security reasons — has now decided... More
DeviFi offers NFC and Qi for iOS
DeviceFidelity has introduced a module that can be used by case makers and other accessory providers to add NFC payments and wireless charging functionality to an iOS device... More
Radius turns Macs into beacons
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) platform provider Radius Networks has introduced QuickBeacon for OS X, a virtual iBeacon solution that can turn any Macintosh computer equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 and running OS X 10.9 or higher into a fully configurable BLE beacon... More
New guide explains how to connect BLE and NFC devices
The NFC Forum and the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) have updated their “Bluetooth secure simple pairing using NFC” developer guide... More
Intel patents multi-surface NFC antenna design
The USPTO has published a patent application by three Intel engineers that describes an NFC antenna design which makes use of a cascaded coil concept to enable interactions to be performed without a user needing to precisely orientate their phone... More
NFC Forum updates certification policy
The NFC Forum is to introduce a series of changes to its certification policy in January 2015... More
True Mileage uses NFC to cut the cost of usage-based vehicle insurance
Insurance technology startup True Mileage is to begin pilot testing an NFC-enabled vehicle tracking device that “can save providers up to 50% over the cost of other usage-based devices in the industry”... More