Researchers at the University of Glasgow in the UK have developed a hybrid technique for “robustly” integrating solid NFC chips with printed circuits on flexible materials such as fabric and paper that could “extend the effective use of flexible electronics in applications such as smart tags, IoT wearables, robotics, ultrathin displays, healthcare and so on” by enabling the development of active tags... More
Wearables
48 hours to EMVCo’s Contactless World Congress keynote on the future of contactless payments: Reserve your place now
EMVCo’s keynote for NFCW’s Contactless World Congress virtual event will take place on Wednesday at 3pm BST/10am EDT, when Brian Byrne and Jonathan Main will present about the future of contactless payments... More
NFC Forum introduces new NFC device class that removes the need for phones and wearables to support NFC tag reading
The NFC Forum has introduced a new Card Emulation Device class that makes it possible for manufacturers of wearables and low-end and mid-range smartphones to get their products certified as meeting NFC Forum requirements without needing to include support for NFC tag reading or writing... More
Google Wallet expands to six more countries
Google Wallet has gone live in Azerbaijan, Iceland, Moldova, Qatar, Serbia and South Africa, enabling users to store and use their credit and debit cards, tickets, passes and other digital credentials on their Android NFC devices... More
German football club trials NFC scarves that let fans access the stadium and receive special offers
Fans of German football club 1 FC Köln have trialled a team scarf incorporating an NFC chip that can be used instead of a conventional ticket to gain access to the stadium and also enables users to access exclusive real-time digital content during a match... More
Nike and Rtfkt use NFC to link physical clothing with NFTs
Nike and its digital fashion brand Rtfkt have launched a hoodie incorporating an NFC chip that enables purchasers to connect it to a digital version of the garment in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT) that can be ‘worn’ by digital avatars in Rtfkt’s Clone X avatar ecosystem... More
NFC Forum reports surge in worldwide use of contactless NFC technology
More than eight in ten consumers have used “an NFC contactless card or mobile payment wallet” (85%) and contactless payment card usage has increased by 30% over the past two years, according to a survey of consumers in nine countries around the world that has been conducted for the NFC Forum... More
Researchers develop NFC extenders that can be built into clothing to enable hands-free NFC interactions at a distance
An international team of researchers has developed flexible NFC extenders that enable the wearer to interact with NFC tags at a greater distance than has previously been possible, opening up the potential for hands-free NFC interactions in use cases ranging from exchanging contact details at a distance, entering a building while carrying shopping bags and accessing online instructions while carrying out physical exercise... More
Team Energie lets drivers in Germany make contactless fuel payments at the pump with their smartwatch
Drivers in Germany can now use their Apple Watch or Android smartwatch to make contactless payments at the pump at Team Energie fuel stations across the country via a fuel payment app without needing to take their smartphone out of their bag, pocket or vehicle... More
Call for speakers: Contactless Technology Week
Do you have expertise in contactless cards, NFC, UWB, biometrics, BLE, RFID, tokenization, digital wallets or wearables that you’d like to share with NFCW’s 12,500 members around the world... More
NFC Forum adds certification for NFC wireless charging
The NFC Forum has launched an NFC wireless charging certification program that allows manufacturers to certify that products comply with the Forum’s Wireless Charging (WLC) 2.0 specification... More
Carnival adds support for on-shore contactless payments to on-board wearable payments device
Passengers on Princess Medallion Class cruise ships can now use their Princess Medallion NFC-enabled wearable device to make contactless payments at on-shore merchants that support leisure travel giant Carnival Corporation’s Medallion Pay payments service... More
Tapster launches passive payments ring with Fidesmo
EXHIBITOR NEWS: Contactless wearables brand Tapster has launched a ring that uses the Fidesmo Pay platform to enable the wearer to make tokenized contactless payments... More
Australian health insurers let customers make contactless claims from Apple Wallet
Australian consumers can now upload a digital private health insurance card to Apple Wallet and use their iPhone or Apple Watch to make an insurance claim by tapping a healthcare provider’s Health Insurance Claims and Payments Service (HICAPS) terminal... More
Three in ten UK consumers now use mobile phones and wearables for payments
Some 17.3 million people or nearly a third (32%) of adult consumers in the UK were registered to use their smartphone or smart watch to make mobile payments in stores by the end of 2020, a “significant” increase of 7.4 million people compared with 2019, according to UK Finance... More
Timex launches wearable payments with Chase, Visa and Tappy
PARTNER NEWS: Timex Group has officially launched a range of watches and watch straps that let the wearer make tokenized payments at any merchant equipped to accept Visa contactless payments... More
Emirates NBD rewards customers for adopting contactless payments
Customers of Emirates NBD bank in the United Arab Emirates can now earn entries to a prize draw for luxury items whenever they make a contactless payment with their credit or debit card, mobile wallet or payments-enabled wearable device... More
Fidesmo Pay launches in Russia
EXHIBITOR NEWS: Fidesmo is rolling out its Fidesmo Pay wearable payments service in Russia with support from eight of the country’s leading banks, enabling their customers to upload their bank cards to NFC-enabled wearables and use them to make contactless payments... More
Abu Dhabi theme parks roll out face recognition for access and payments
Visitors to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island can now use their face to gain access to the resort island’s Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld and Warner Bros World theme parks and to make contactless payments at retail and dining outlets that support its face recognition technology... More
Metrolinx begins contactless fare payment pilot in Toronto
Passengers travelling on Metrolinx’s Union Pearson (UP) Express airport rail link are the first in the Canadian city of Toronto to trial an open payment system that enables them to pay their fares with a contactless credit card or mobile wallet, without needing to buy a Presto transit card or e-ticket... More