Data collected when a contactless card is used to pay for a train journey is now being used to automatically compensate passengers when their train is delayed by 15 minutes or more, removing the need for travellers to manually file a request for a refund... More
Researchers from Lancaster University have created an ID technology based on irregularities found in two-dimensional materials such as graphene... More
Alibaba’s self-service Tao Cafe takes e-shopping offline — Xinhua — “Entry into Tao Cafe in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, is through ticket gates similar to those at subway stations, however, customers scan their smart phones instead of tickets… The 200-square-meter store offering beverages, fast food and snacks can accommodate 50 customers at a time. To enter and make a purchase, shoppers require only a smart phone with Alibaba’s Taobao ecommerce app.”
Commuters on the F1 Manly to Circular Quay ferry first to tap into contactless ticketing on one of Sydney’s most iconic routes — Mastercard — “Paying for a ferry ride is now as easy as tap-and-go, as Mastercard and Transport for NSW bring contactless ticketing payment to Sydney Ferries… In an Australian first, commuters can use their Mastercard contactless card or mobile wallets that have enabled Mastercard cards to tap on.”
More than 31m journeys have been made using NFC mobile phones across Transport for London’s (TfL) network in the last 12 months, the transport operator has revealed... More
Ticketmaster will soon admit you to events using audio data transmitted from your phone — VentureBeat — “Ticketmaster will soon be able to admit you to live events and track your movement using nothing more than a discrete digital audio broadcast from your smartphone… The ticketing giant has teamed up with Lisnr, a data-over-audio company that uses an ultrasonic sound technology it calls ‘smart tones’ to transmit information between devices.”
Traditional annual Scottish tourism highlight The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is to get a very modern twist from 2018 with the addition of support for Chinese internet giant Tencent’s WeChat Pay mobile payments platform, enabling the growing number of visitors from China who attend the event to purchase tickets, merchandise and other services from their smartphones. More
Opal card implanted into Sydney man Meow-Meow could be deactivated by NSW authorities — ABC News — “Transport authorities in New South Wales have threatened to deactivate an Opal card that has been implanted in a Sydney man’s hand… ‘Transport for NSW does not support the tampering or damaging of Opal Cards, which would be a breach of the terms of use,’ they said.”
NXP, Shanghai Unicom and Roam2Free collaborate to develop secure eSIM solution — NXP — PARTNER NEWS — “Complete solution combines mobile payment and ticketing with GSMA-compliant remote SIM activation for consumers to quickly add mobile subscriptions and cellular networks to their smartphones for better coverage and when traveling abroad”
Sydney man has Opal card implanted into hand to make catching public transport easier — ABC News — “Bio-hacker Meow-Ludo Disco Gamma Meow-Meow, his legal name, had the Opal near-field communication (NFC) chip cut down and encased in bio-compatible plastic, measuring 1 millimetre by 6 millimetres. He then had the device implanted just beneath the skin on the side of his left hand. “It gives me an ability that not everyone else has, so if someone stole my wallet I could still get home,” he said.”
Beijing subway launches smartphone version of travel card — ECNS — “Starting Monday, subway travelers in the Chinese capital with NFC-enabled phones can leave their physical travel card at home and use their smartphone instead, Beijing Municipal Administration and Communications Card (BMAC) said… Beijing subway said the mobile pass function does not support iPhone because of Apple’s restrictions.”
New BBVA Wallet release provides enhanced functionality and convenience — BBVA Compass — “MLC uses geolocation information being transmitted by a customer’s mobile device as a means of approving debit card transactions for customers when they travel. When a customer enrolls in MLC, the bank is able to know at the time of purchase whether the cardholder’s device is nearby.”
Motorists using oil and gas company ExxonMobil’s mobile payments app can now apply for the ExxonMobil Smart Card credit card directly through the app... More
Commuters travelling on trains run by Swedish transport operator SJ are trialling a system that lets them have their ticket validated using an NFC microchip implanted in their hand... More
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Denver International Airport have begun trialling a biometrics-based checkpoint screening process that allows travellers to use their fingerprint as both a boarding pass and identity document... More
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
Passengers travelling to Dubai will soon begin piloting a biometric border system that makes use of blockchain technology and lets them walk straight to baggage reclaim through a short tunnel which conducts a three dimensional scan of their face and instantly checks them into the country using an entirely digital version of their passport... More
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.”
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
Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel passengers can now ‘wave and pay’ — Oxford Times — “This would do more than ‘just replace the existing cash ticket’, managing director Phil Southall said… ‘We’re really proud to be able to offer the ability for customers to pay for their tickets using Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Android Pay on all of our services from today. We have ambitious plans over the coming months.'”