The global biometrics market will reach more than US$30bn by 2021, representing a 118% increase from 2015, according to a new forecast from ABI Research... More
Embedded
NXP backs two new IoT development platforms
PARTNER NEWS: NXP has put its support behind two new reference platforms that will enable “innovation and rapid development” for smart wearables. The platforms target a range of internet of things (IoT) applications with open-source hardware and software, form-factor flexibility and expandable solutions for designers to adapt to changing market needs. More
Chase Pay goes to Starbucks mobile app
Users of Chase Pay will soon be able to buy food and drinks at more than 7,500 Starbucks cafés in the US through the coffee chain’s own mobile app or with the Chase Pay app... More
NXP launches improved NFC connected tags and reader chips
PARTNER NEWS: NXP has unveiled two new NFC products — an improved “connected tag” range designed to add intelligent tap-and-go connectivity to just about any electronic device and the PN7462 family of single chip NFC reader solutions that combine a microprocessor with USB, contact and contactless interfaces... More
ARM includes AMS NFC payments booster in wearables reference design
PARTNER NEWS: A new reference design for wearables from processor designer ARM includes high-performance NFC technology from AMS that enables small-footprint devices with tiny antennas to couple with NFC readers as easily and reliably as a contactless card... More
Visa expands Visa Ready Program to wider range of connected devices
Visa is expanding its Visa Ready certification program to include Internet of Things (IoT) companies such as manufacturers of wearables, automobiles, appliances and clothing so that secure payments can be added to a wider range of connected devices, the payment network has announced at Mobile World Congress. More
PayPal adds buy buttons
PayPal has unveiled a new platform that enables merchants and partners to embed buy buttons in emails, social shares, blogs, articles, ads and apps through a set of APIs... More
Musician Beatie Wolfe promotes new single with NFC jacket
British singer songwriter Beatie Wolfe is promoting the release of her new single with an NFC jacket that lets fans listen to the song by tapping their NFC phone onto the fabric... More
NXP and Guala add NFC security to wine and spirit bottle caps
PARTNER NEWS: Leading bottle cap supplier Guala Closures Group is working with chip maker NXP to develop NFC-enabled closures for wine and spirit bottles that will allow consumers to check the product’s authenticity and whether or not the beverage has been tampered with. More
Samsung unveils Smart Swing golf wear with NFC
Samsung’s fashion division has developed a t-shirt designed for golfers that comes equipped with an NFC chip in its sleeve. When tapped with an NFC device, the chip launches a mobile app that provides the golfer with information about the course they’re playing on. More
NXP to showcase NFC and IoT technologies in 86 cities around the world
PARTNER NEWS: NXP is to showcase NFC and the Internet of Things (IoT) in a world tour that includes stops in 86 cities. The Smarter World Tour “is a highly visible, 36 tons, 2 levels, fully mobile semi-truck trailer designed by Luigi Colani which turns into a large and spacious mobile tradeshow,” NXP says. More
G&D provides NFC chip and operating system for Swatch smartwatch
PARTNER NEWS: Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is providing the embedded smart card chip and operating system used in the NFC contactless payment smartwatch launched by Swatch in China last month... More
MasterCard extends tokenization platform to clothing, accessories and wearable devices
MasterCard has extended the capabilities of its tokenization service to enable payments to be made using “virtually any device”, including NFC-enabled clothing, jewellery and vehicle keyfobs. “Products will begin rolling out in 2016 in the US,” the payments network says, “with plans to expand to other markets.” More
Hublot lets customers check watch authenticity with NFC
Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot is letting customers check the authenticity of their timepieces, download manuals and register for the brand’s Hublotista Club by tapping a contactless card against their phone. The service is being offered with all Hublot watches as the official method of certifying authenticity. More
Dubai commuters to replace travel cards with watches
Commuters in Dubai may soon be able to pay for travel using contactless watches from Watch2Pay... More
DigiSEq gets MasterCard approval to provision payments to mass market wearables
MasterCard has approved a solution that enables payment credentials to be provisioned to wearable devices with a secure element and NFC antenna... More
Samsung and MasterCard prepare Europe for Samsung Pay
Samsung has announced it is extending its global partnership with MasterCard to deliver Samsung Pay to European card issuers using the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) — and is currently working with European banks and partners to bring the mobile payment service to the continent following a planned launch in the US and South Korea later this year... More
Rabobank launches embedded NFC payments service
Customers of Dutch financial institution Rabobank with a Samsung Galaxy S4 or Galaxy Note 3 can now use a mobile wallet app that works with the secure element embedded in their mobile device to make NFC payments, check balances, store loyalty cards and redeem vouchers... More
RBC adds HCE to mobile payments app
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has added support for host card emulation (HCE) to its RBC mobile app, “allowing Canadians to pay with most Android mobile phones without worrying about being on the right mobile network or having the right SIM card.”... More
SIMalliance updates OMAPI
SIMalliance has published version 3.0 of its Open Mobile API Specification, bringing with it support for “every type of smartphone OS globally”... More