This 10-year-old was able to unlock his mom’s iPhone using Face ID — The Verge — “While Apple has admitted that false positives can happen, it was thought this could only happen with twins, or siblings under the age of 13. However, a new video has popped up showing a 10-year-old unlocking his mother’s iPhone, suggesting that any family members who bear enough resemblance might be able to bypass the system.”
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US pop band adds NFC tags to merchandise range
Fans of US pop group Airspoken can now access music, videos and other digital content by tapping their NFC mobile devices against NFC tags embedded in the band’s merchandise, from t-shirts, stickers and hats to bracelets and more... More
Austrians to open bank accounts from home using online video ID service
Customers of Austria’s Erste Bank und Sparkassen can now open a current or student account using video-based online identification through either a mobile device or desktop computer, saving the “time and effort involved in visiting a branch office”, the bank says... More
Video shows how mobile network operator Econet is deploying NFC payments in Africa
PARTNER NEWS: Mobile money specialist Mahindra Comviva has produced a video that shows how NFC payments are being deployed in Africa by Zimbabwe-based carrier Econet Wireless... More
MasterCard and Samsung enable grocery payments at the fridge
US consumers will soon be able to place grocery orders with online grocer FreshDirect and supermarket chain ShopRite by entering the items they wish to purchase into a touchscreen built into Samsung’s new Family Hub refrigerator. More
US startup raises funds for NFC necklace
A US startup is raising funds on Kickstarter for its first production run of Lockett, a customisable necklace that can be tapped with an NFC phone to retrieve personal photos, videos and messages... More
Otto pilots NFC product labels
Online retailer Otto Versand is to test the use of NFC product labels which let customers retrieve information such as manuals and explanatory videos as well as reorder parts. Otto Product Wizard Stickers will be tested with buyers of coffee machines in a few weeks, Heise reports. The pilot will continue for “several months”... More
NFC gnomes store messages for lovers
Startup Gnoments has developed gnome soft toys that come equipped with NFC chips to allow consumers to add links to sound recordings, videos and photos that can be accessed with a tap of a loved one’s NFC device... More
RapidNFC shows off tamper-proof tags
PARTNER NEWS: Tag supplier RapidNFC has introduced a tamper proof NFC tag designed to self-destruct if it is removed, stopping the tag being re-sited from one location to another and ensuring that a tag intended for a specific asset cannot be placed on another. More
Alibaba boss demonstrates selfie payments
Alibaba founder and executive chairman Jack Ma has demonstrated a prototype biometric verification service that could enable a payment to be authorized by simply capturing an image of a mobile phone user’s face. More
ZTE launches smartphone with retina scanning for authentication
ZTE‘s latest Android smartphone will let owners unlock it by scanning their retinas with a built-in biometric solution from EyeVerify... More
Glasgow to get NFC bus shelters
Glasgow City Council-owned bus shelters around the Scottish city will be fitted with NFC tags and QR codes to allow people to engage with advertisers by accessing interactive content such as vouchers, games and videos using their smartphones... More
Nintendo 3DS gets NFC
A Nintendo 3DS system update has enabled the NFC capabilities built into the latest Japan-only edition of the handheld games console, Nintendo Life reports... More
Softcard picks Muppet mascot for online advertising campaign
US carrier mobile payments venture Softcard has unveiled Tappy, a mascot designed by the company behind The Muppets that will be used initially in an online advertising blitz reported to be valued at US$1.5m. More
Tip.ly uses face recognition to let users leave tips with their phone
Startup Tip.ly has launched Face Tips, a service that lets users tip service workers by simply taking a photo of the server’s face with a mobile phone. The recipient then has fourteen days to log in to the service using any camera-equipped device to submit their photo and bank details to safely collect their payment. More
Starbucks to accept Microsoft Band wearable payments
Starbucks is to begin accepting payments from customers wearing the new Microsoft Band smart bracelet... More
Taco Bell app lets customers rotate to reorder
US quick-service restaurant chain Taco Bell has launched a mobile ordering and payment app that lets customers place their orders through a customisable menu and complete a payment using a stored Taco Bell card, credit card or debit card before arriving at the counter... More
MasterCard backs Zwipe fingerprint payment card
MasterCard has partnered with Zwipe, maker of a contactless payment card that includes an integrated fingerprint biometric sensor, for the commercial launch of the technology following a pilot with Norway’s Sparebanken DIN. More
Nintendo 3DS to get NFC
Nintendo will include a built-in NFC chip in the next versions of its 3DS and 3DS XL handheld games consoles, at least in Japan, the company has revealed in its latest 3DS Direct video briefing... More
Bank develops NFC suit that lets customers pay by swiping a sleeve
Australia’s Heritage Bank has unveiled prototypes of a suit that comes with an embedded NFC chip and antenna to allow its wearer to make NFC payments at contactless POS terminals by simply swiping their sleeve... More