PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has introduced a new range of dynamic tag chips that combine NFC technology with pulse width modulation (PWM) logic to enable a wide range of appliances to be set up or fine tuned at home, in the field or in the factory using either an NFC phone or an ISO 15693 RFID reader... More
Improving convenience for all, Conduent to bring digital, cashless payment options to NJ Transit — Conduent Inc — “More than 500 ticket vending machines, 200 platform validators and 65 fare gates will be refreshed to accept payments via mobile phones and contactless bank cards. Conduent will also add 2,500 validators on buses so riders can easily tap on to validate or pay their fare.”
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has launched the ST54J, a single system-on-chip that lets mobile phone makers cut bill-of-materials costs, reduce PCB space and deliver faster performance by combining an NFC controller, secure element and eSIM into one unit that supports mobile payments, e-ticketing, remote provisioning and more... More
Security key maker Yubico has introduced a new range of hardware keys that support Fido2 passwordless authentication, including a version which offers NFC for “touch based authentication for NFC supported Android and iOS devices and applications.” ... More
A US startup has demonstrated a way to prepare packaged food items “without a distracting trip to the kitchen”, using an induction pad and products bearing NFC tags that tell the base unit how to heat them... More
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.”
Why Apple didn’t try to disrupt credit cards with Apple Pay — Fortune — “Apple’s own campus lets its employees gain access via their Apple Wallet. And next week, Apple is set to roll out student ID cards on the Apple Wallet for Duke University, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Alabama. That feature will combine access and payments, allowing students to use their Apple Wallet ID card to enter their dorms and pay for laundry. ‘It’s a tremendous new area for us to focus on, which is really access,’ Bailey said.”
PARTNER NEWS: NXP has launched two new NFC tags that incorporate both product protection and channel authentication security features, enabling brands to take advantage of the tag reading capabilities of both Android and iOS devices to roll out NFC-based customer communication and product authentication services at scale... More
A New York technology company is creating a blockchain-based registry of original art and using NFC tags attached to the works themselves to link the physical items to their digital identities. More
PARTNER NEWS: Apple’s latest iPhones, the XS and XS Max, carry an NXP 100VB27 NFC controller, according to a teardown published by iFixit... More
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.”
Google Pay has arrived — Google Blog Italia (translation) — “Simply add a credit, debit or prepaid card (Maestro, MasterCard, Visa) issued by any of the supported banks and credit institutions to the Google Pay app — including Banca Mediolanum, Boon, Hype, Nexi, N26, Revolut, Widiba and, in the coming months, Iccrea Banca and Poste Italiane — to turn your Android smartphone into a wallet. Users can also activate the service directly in the mobile banking app of their bank.”
Apple’s just-published iOS 12 security guide has revealed a new feature which will see owners of the latest iPhones able to conduct some NFC transactions even when the device has all but shut down because the battery needs to be charged... More
Apple’s new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR will be able to take advantage of an update to the company’s Core NFC specification to read NFC tags without the user first having to open an app, Apple has revealed... More
The Conran Shop and Pinterest collaborate to create an immersive and personalised shopping experience — Pinterest — “Customers will also be able to use their smartphones to explore the products and activate unique digital experiences via integrated near-field communication (NFC) technology. The NFC tags, powered by printed-electronics specialist, Thinfilm, are activated by tapping a smartphone on a featured hero product, which will automatically be added to a bespoke ‘Conran Wishlist’ on the customer’s personal Pinterest board.”
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.”
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.”
Cubic chosen as preferred provider by Metropolitan Transportation Commission for contract to deliver next-gen fare payment system — Cubic — “The next-generation system will include new features including an integrated mobile app that will support a virtual Clipper card, enabling customers to access real-time information, top up their accounts, plan trips and tap their phones through faregates and on buses in much the same way as mobile payments can be made at retailers.”
UK Premier League club Chelsea has added NFC tags to its third kit shirts for the forthcoming football season... More
General-purpose contactless payments continue to struggle on US transit systems — Digital Transactions — “The Salt Lake City-based Utah Transit Authority, a pioneer in contactless fare payments, has discontinued acceptance of general-purpose contactless mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The UTA also no longer accepts contactless general-purpose payment cards, though such cards aren’t yet common in the United States. Only 112 riders on average used those forms of payment — far less than 1% of UTA’s average of 147,728 weekday boardings as of last December, according to a spokesperson.”