People already scalping TransLink’s Compass Wristbands online — CTV News — “People ended up queuing up down the block when the wearable technology went on sale at 7:30 am, and it only took about three hours for TransLink to sell out. ‘I’ve gotta say, this is a little more than we expected,’ spokesperson Jill Drews said. ‘But it’s great. We’re glad people love the wristbands’.”
Wearables
TransLink pilots wearable transit ticketing payment bands
Introducing Compass Wristbands — TransLink — “To help improve customer convenience, we’re introducing Compass Wristbands — a Compass Card that you wear on your wrist! We’re offering a limited release of 1,000 adult wristbands and 1,000 concession wristbands starting December 3… Tap in and out when travelling on transit and reload online, at a Compass vending machine, by phone or in person. Just like a Compass Card, you’ll pay a $6 refundable fee when you pick up your wristband.”
Carnival gets patents for NFC wearables on cruise ships
Cruise operator Carnival Corporation has been granted a series of patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its Ocean Medallion, a wearable device that combines NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to provide passengers with a wide range of payments, access control and information services... More
Meet NFC World’s partners at Trustech 2018
NFC World partners Antelop Solutions, Dejamobile, HID Global, NXP, Okey Co and STMicroelectronics will be attending Trustech in Cannes, France from 27 to 29 November... More
Atlanta charity pilots NFC wristbands that let the homeless access welfare services
This tech nonprofit Is trying to help homeless people get IDs — Motherboard — “Mini City distributed 500 NFC-enabled wristbands — similar to FitBits or Nike FuelBands — to expand its services to Atlanta’s homeless. Each wearable holds an identifier number given to homeless citizens when they begin the process of obtaining a government ID. Users unlock Mini City’s app by tapping the wristband on a tablet at Salvation Army and other nonprofits like ReStart Atlanta — allowing them to book shelter beds, find nearby employment and medical resources, and check the status of their ID applications.”
KBC to pilot multiple wearable payments options
Belgian bank KBC is inviting customers to take part in a year-long wearable payments pilot, with each being offered the choice of testing an NFC-enabled ring, keyfob, wristband or watch... More
Fossil launches sports watch with NFC payments
Watchmaker Fossil has added a Wear OS smartwatch to its range of NFC-enabled wearable payments devices... More
Tappy adds biometric security to wearable payments devices
Wearable payments specialist Tappy Technologies has unveiled a new watch strap design that combines its existing contactless payments module with a passive fingerprint sensor that can be used to increase the security and transaction limit of wearable contactless payments... More
ST unveils turnkey payment solution for smartwatches and wearables
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has partnered with wearable transactions specialist Fidesmo to provide smartwatch and wearable device makers with a single payment system-on-chip (SoC) solution that comes with built-in support for Mastercard payments... More
Barclays pitches watch makers on the benefits of wearable payments
Adding payments capabilities to watches and fitness trackers deliver benefits beyond simply meeting customer demand for new and innovative products, Barclaycard’s Adam Herson says... More
Westpac launches designer wearable payments range
Hayden Cox and Westpac have teamed up to create wearable technology accessories that you’ll actually want to wear — Vogue — “The five designs include a convertible and waterproof two-in-one Band and Chain; a Slimline Keeper to add to your watch or fitness band; an ultra-minimal Incognito Pin ‘brooch-like’ set that includes four unique toppers; an anti-fashion late 70’s-inspired Nostalgia Pin; and an ‘out of site’ and internal-facing iron/sew on Centsitive Patch.”
GlobalPlatform adds financial configuration that makes it easier to add payment, access control and transport ticketing applications to wearables
GlobalPlatform enhances secure element deployment for payment-enabled wearables — GlobalPlatform — “Wearables such as smart rings and smart wristbands are bridging the gap between simple cards and feature-rich smartphones by enabling consumers to pay, unlock and travel with a tap,” comments Gil Bernabeu, technical director of GlobalPlatform. “This new configuration standardizes all of this, saving implementers time and money, increasing revenue opportunities and enriching the experience for consumers.”
Danske Bank begins wearable payments pilot
Danske Bank testing new wearable payment solution — Danske Bank — “FastPay is Danske Bank’s new payment solution that lets you wear your payment chip in a wristband, on a keyring or on your watchstrap so that you can make contactless payments without having to reach for your card.”
Armani launches Wear OS smartwatch with NFC payments
Armani Exchange Connected is the company’s first smartwatch with Wear OS, NFC, heart-rate, more — 9to5Google — “The Armani Exchange Connected is the first touchscreen watch from the company… The watch offers features such as NFC, heart-rate tracking, a swimproof design, and built-in GPS.”
ANZ lets customers use smartphones and smartwatches to withdraw cash from ATMs across Australia
ANZ launches smartphone ATM access in an Australian first — ANZ — “ANZ today announced a new way for customers to access cash on the go, using only their smartphone or watch at 2,400 ATMs across Australia… There are more than one million ANZ customers currently using digital wallets loaded with an ANZ-issued card. Between October 2017 and August 2018, ANZ customers made more than 57m mobile payment transactions worth more than A$1.83bn. This was an increase of more than 150% in transaction numbers from the same time a year earlier.”
Huami includes NFC for travelcards, payments and access control in $116 budget smartwatch
Huami announces launch of new Amazfit Verge smartwatch — Huami — “Digital wallet functionality in conjunction with UnionPay and Alipay, combined with integrated one-touch public transportation payment in over 160 cities in China, [helps] users capture the convenience of full digital transactions (through NFC and QR codes). The Verge can be also used as entrance access device utilising NFC technology.”
Xiaomi to ship $29 fitness tracker with support for Mi Pay NFC payments
Xiaomi Mi Band 3 NFC version to go on sale on September 19; Total wearable sales exceed 50m — Gizmochina — “The company has officially confirmed that it will begin the sales of the Mi Band 3 NFC edition starting from Sept 19 with a price tag of 199 Yuan (US$29 approx)… Apart from supporting contactless payment POS terminals enabled with NFC, the Mi Band 3 NFC version will support city bus card payments in [as] many as 167 cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Suzhou, Hefei, Xi’an, and Jilin among others in China.”
Nike adds NFC labels to Chelsea football shirts
UK Premier League club Chelsea has added NFC tags to its third kit shirts for the forthcoming football season... More
Moscow Credit Bank issues NFC payment rings
Non-contact payment ring of the Moscow Credit Bank — Moscow Credit Bank (translation) — “Visa payment card of the Moscow Credit Bank with support for NFC technology allows you to pay for purchases with one stroke of your hand… To pay for a purchase, it is enough to touch the ring to a terminal that accepts contactless payments. The payment ring is made of impact-resistant waterproof ceramics, so it will become indispensable for athletes and active lifestyle lovers.”
Wear OS update lets smartwatch users make faster NFC payments
Google’s redesigned Wear OS might make smartwatches worth buying again — Mashable — “Previously, if you wanted to use Google Pay on your smartwatch, you’d need to launch the app, which was a multi-tap process. Now, you can make a payment much quicker. It’s not as quick as double-pressing the side button on the Apple Watch to fire up Apple Pay, but it’s way faster than the old way.”