PARTNER NEWS: Japanese carrier NTT Docomo is using NXP’s new NFC, ultra wideband (UWB) and secure element chipset in a concept POS device that lets consumers make secure payments “while keeping your smartphone in your pocket or bag”... More
Bluetooth low energy (BLE)
Android Q to let users log into Wi-Fi networks via NFC, QR or Bluetooth LE
Android Q supports ‘Wi-Fi Easy Connect’ for NFC, Bluetooth, QR credential sharing — 9to5Google — “Android Q enables you to use Easy Connect to provision Wi-Fi credentials to a peer device… The calling app can retrieve the URI through various methods, including scanning a QR code from a sticker or display, or through scanning Bluetooth LE or NFC advertisements.”
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
Sam’s Club unveils mobile-first store that showcases the latest payments and retail technologies
Walmart-owned Sam’s Club is opening a new store in Dallas, Texas that will double as both a technology lab and a live retail store, enabling both customers and staff to test and make use of the latest developments in retail and payments technology... More
Skanska deploys mobile keys at new headquarters in Warsaw
HID Global helps create an integrated mobile experience and enhances security at the new Skanska office complex in Warsaw — HID Global — PARTNER NEWS — “Spark building employees and their guests can now move throughout the building with nothing more than a smartphone, without the risk of them gaining access to restricted areas — unless the proper access rights are granted. When users arrive at the door, they simply tap their iOS and Android devices to an iClass SE reader using near field communications (NFC) or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and HID’s ‘twist and go’ feature to gain access from a distance. Any changes to the user’s access rights are remotely managed by the administrator through a cloud-based portal.”
NFC workforce and asset management platform provider Ginstr joins the NFC World Partner Program
PARTNER PROFILE: Ginstr’s SaaS platform provides companies looking to efficiently manage their field staff or their assets with a quick and simple to deploy cloud-based solution that comes with over 80 pre-developed applications and can be fully branded and tailored to meet each customer’s specific needs... More
Okey Co explains how its contactless keyfob can unlock new NFC business opportunities
PARTNER NEWS: A presentation that sets out the potential of the Okey — a standalone, multifunction NFC keyfob that can store multiple contactless payment, transit, loyalty and identity cards — is now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
IoTize picks ST NFC chip for plug’n’play IoT connectivity
IoTize joins STMicroelectronics partner program to boost plug’n’play solution that slashes time-to-market of IoT enable — STMicroelectronics/IoTize — PARTNER NEWS — “IoTize is introducing the solution in its first low-cost, turnkey IoT demonstrator module — the TapNLink Primer. This Primer will feature NFC connectivity based-on the ST25DV Dynamic Tag IC with 13.56MHz long-range interface and a Bluetooth Low Energy interface. The Primer will enable IoT proof-of-concept demonstrations in minutes by connecting any STM32-based system to a dedicated, provisioned, cloud environment using a smartphone as a network gateway.”
GlobalPlatform explains the role of standards in an increasingly diversified payments landscape
The increasing diversity of devices, services and players in the mobile payments ecosystem has led to the need for standards and certification to manage fragmentation, prevent fraud and ensure consistent user experience, GlobalPlatform’s Gil Bernabeu explains in a new paper now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
Okey Co joins the NFC World Partner Program
NFC World today welcomes Beijing-based Okey Co as a member of our partner program... More
Carnival explains how its NFC and BLE devices will power next-generation cruise ship guest experiences
Carnival Corporation’s Michael Jungen explains how the world’s largest leisure travel company will use its new NFC and BLE-enabled Ocean Medallions to provide guests with a wide range of personalized, next generation services on board its cruise ships in an in-depth paper which is now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre. More
Gateless transit ticketing system to be piloted in the UK
Your face could be your ticket at the Tube station of the future — Wired — “One of the problems Cubic is trying to solve is the bottleneck that occurs at ticket gates when everyone rushes to dig out their ticket or pass. To avoid this crush, Cubic suggests removing the gates completely. Instead, its prototype system uses an object tracking system to track passengers as they walk through… Cubic aims to get this gateless tracking system to a UK station within the year.”
eMarketer releases latest estimates for US proximity mobile payments
eMarketer releases latest estimates for US proximity mobile payments — eMarketer — “eMarketer estimates the value of US proximity mobile payment transactions will total US$49.29 billion in 2017, up 78.1% from last year… The average annual spend per proximity mobile payment user in the US will reach US$1,026 in 2017, surpassing US$1,000 for the first time. That figure will continue to grow through 2021, when it will reach US$2,646.”
Gatwick Airport installs 2,000 BLE beacons for augmented reality wayfinding
Some 2,000 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons have been installed across London’s Gatwick Airport to provide an indoor navigation system and an augmented reality wayfinding service so that passengers can be shown directions in the camera view of their mobile device. More
Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus to support Bluetooth 5
Samsung’s new Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus flagship smartphones will be the first on the market to include support for Bluetooth 5.0, The Verge reports... More
MSC Cruises passengers to get onboard mobile payments and tailored holidays with NFC, beacons and biometrics
Holidaymakers aboard ships belonging to MSC Cruises will soon be able to make onboard payments, tailor their individual holiday preferences and access features such as a digital personal advisor through facial recognition technology, NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, plus a mobile app and interactive cabin TV screens... More
White paper explores how identification technologies are transforming the industrial and commercial landscape
A four-page white paper that explores how identification technologies such as RFID, NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) are transforming the industrial and commercial landscape by making it possible for businesses to generate actionable results from large amounts of data is now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
Bluetooth rail ticketing service to include biometrics?
Fingerprint and iris scanning technology “could eventually” be incorporated into a Bluetooth and geolocation-based ticketing service to be piloted by UK rail firm Chiltern Railways in July 2017... More
Chrome 56 adds BLE connectivity to web apps
Consumers can now communicate with nearby Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices through web apps using Google’s Chrome 56 update for Android... More
Google to shut down Hands Free mobile payments pilot
Google is ending its Hands Free mobile payments pilot in one week’s time in order to focus its efforts on “bringing the best of the Hands Free technology to a wider audience,” according to the company... More