Drones relay RFID signals for inventory control — MIT — “MIT researchers have now developed a system that enables small, safe, aerial drones to read RFID tags from tens of meters away while identifying the tags’ locations with an average error of about 19 centimeters. The researchers envision that the system could be used in large warehouses for both continuous monitoring, to prevent inventory mismatches, and location of individual items, so that employees can rapidly and reliably meet customer requests.”
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Green Dot CEO sets out how Apple Pay Cash will work
Prepaid card provider Green Dot “will perform several roles” for Apple when the iPhone maker launches its P2P payments and Apple Pay Cash services in the US in September, Green Dot CEO Steven Streit has revealed during the company’s Q2 2017 earnings call... More
RFID market to reach US$11.2bn in 2017
RFID market to reach US$11.2bn in 2017 — IDTechEx — “In total, IDTechEx expects that 18.2bn tags will be sold in 2017 versus 15.2bn in 2016. Most of that growth is from passive UHF (Rain) RFID labels. However, in 2017 UHF RFID tag sales by value will be 25% of the value of HF tag sales, mainly because HF tags where used for security (such as payments, access etc) have a higher price point versus the cheaper, usually disposable labels used for tagging things.”
Apple Pay to go live in four more countries this year
Consumers in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates will be able to use Apple Pay “before the end of this calendar year”, the iPhone maker’s chief financial officer has revealed during Apple’s Q3 2017 earnings call... More
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
Apple makes NFC tag reading available for beta testing
Members of the general public who sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program can now download a pre-release edition of iOS 11, the latest version of Apple’s operating system for iPhone and iPad which brings with it support for NFC tag reading... More
Apple to enable NFC pairing on HomeKit smart home devices
Apple’s HomeKit smart home framework will soon support the use of NFC for accessory pairing, the iPhone maker has revealed... More
NXP issues statement of support for NFC tag reading on Apple devices
PARTNER NEWS: NXP is “excited about the expanding number of users of NFC applications” following the announcement made by Apple earlier this week that it is to add support for NFC tag reading to its iPhone 7, 7 Plus and Apple Watch devices... More
STMicroelectronics launches ST25DV chips that can be read by both RFID readers and NFC phones
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has introduced a range of dynamic tag chips that support both the NFC Type 5 and the ISO 15693 RFID specifications, enabling them to be read by both standard NFC smartphones and, at a longer range of up to one metre, by RFID readers. More
NXP and GCL Technologies offer NFC tamper evident closure solution for wine and spirits brands
PARTNER NEWS: Guala Closures Group, a world leader in security closures, has teamed up with NXP to introduce an NFC-based tamper evident closure solution for the wine and spirits industry that is designed to protect brands, enable advanced anti-counterfeiting and tamper-proofing and enable brand owners to make VIP offers, loyalty rewards and more available to customers through a tap of their NFC mobile device. More
Australian banks lose fight to gain access to NFC functionality in Apple iPhones
The group of Australian banks seeking stronger negotiating powers with Apple over the NFC technology within its iPhone handsets have been denied access to it by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the grounds that the proposed conduct would “reduce or distort competition in a number of markets” and that the benefits are “outweighed by the detriments”. More
NXP adds new NFC chips and sensors to secure the Internet of Things
PARTNER NEWS: NXP has unveiled two new NFC chips and a range of NFC offerings designed to “capitalise on the inherent security and interactive capabilities of NFC for advanced product authentication, integrity assurance and enhanced user engagement across consumer manufactured goods, healthcare, retail and other industries”. More
Fashion retailers test smart mirrors for mobile payments
Fashion retailers Ralph Lauren and Rebecca Minkoff are testing smart dressing-room mirrors that will soon allow shoppers to “wave their phones in front of the mirror and make a purchase using Apple Pay or Android Pay”, Bloomberg reports... More
Finnish distiller adds NFC tags to gin bottles
Finnish distiller Northern Lights Spirits (NLS) is to include NFC tags on premium Kalevala Gin bottles, allowing it to “instantly deliver authentication messages, brand stories, promotional offers, product news and other relevant content” to customers... More
Jameson offers prizes with special NFC bottle
Drinkers of Jameson Irish Whiskey can access prizes and giveaways by tapping their phones against an NFC tag placed on a special edition bottle marking St Patrick’s Day in Ireland... More
Bus operator reports QR and NFC adoption stats
Bus passengers in the UK county of West Yorkshire are using QR codes and NFC at bus stops 10,000 times every week to retrieve travel information... More
‘World first’ plastic NFC tag opens up new possibilities for NFC deployments
Global playing card and board game producer Cartamundi, nanoelectronics research centre Imec and Holst Centre — an initiative set up by Imec and Dutch research institute TNO — have unveiled a “world first” NFC tag made entirely out of plastic that offers the chance of “manufacturing chips in large volumes at low cost”... More
NFC and blockchain combined to create supply chain security solution
Pharmaceuticals, fine art and forensic evidence could be secured along their supply chains by a new identity and authentication prototype, incorporating NFC chips and blockchain registration and verification, unveiled by US blockchain and internet of things firm Chronicled... More
Covent Garden offers augmented reality gift for Christmas shoppers
London’s Covent Garden shopping district is showcasing what it claims to be the largest showcase of augmented reality (AR) technology attempted in one location, with Christmas shoppers offered exclusive offers, gift guides and immersive shopping experiences... More
NFC Forum calls on manufacturers to join NFC Tag Certification Program
The NFC Forum is calling on NFC tag manufacturers to join its new Tag Certification Program, which aims to provide global standards of interoperability with NFC-enabled mobile devices, as well as establishing tag compliance with the NFC Forum’s technical specifications... More