NFC Forum members show of NFC solutions in Frankfurt

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NFC Forum members show of NFC solutions in Frankfurt

The NFC Forum and some of its members are showing off some NFC solutions over in Frankfurt, Germany this next week. But why? At the end of the day, NFC is just another secure little protocol that has the added ability to work with tags just like its older brother, RFID. It is pretty cool in and of itself, but really nothing to get overly excited about. Strange that coming from us? Not really. We have never been enchanted by the actual technology as it is nothing new or remarkable outside of the fact that a radio frequency can power a small chip and antenna with nothing more than a radio field. NFC operates at 13.56 MHz. Data speeds range from 106 kbit/s to 848 kbit/s. NFC Tags only store small amounts of information, currently between 96 and 512 bytes of memory. Kind of a dry subject matter, eh? It isn’t that NFC isn’t an interesting technology, but it is hardly as bleeding edge as quantum computers and hadron colliders.

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Cortus and SST show off low power SOC with NFC secure element uses

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Cortus and SST show off low power SOC with NFC secure element uses

Cortus and SST are showing off a new low power system on chip (SOC) at Embedded World 2012 that could change the industrial design of NFC in smartphones. We don’t need to tell you that everyone wants smaller smartphones with less power consumption. In an era of convergent capabilities and a focus on keeping everything small, competitive OEMs are forced to constantly improve the power consumption and the size solutions take up on a board.

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Sound Pound uses NFC to replace traditional high five greetings?

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Sound Pound NFC to replace traditional high five greetings?

The creators of Sound Pound describe their NFC Android app as a replacement for the high five or fist pound. The concept is that you either record a sound or select a file from your NFC smartphone and then assign a contact. When the two devices are unlocked and brought within NFC proximity, both devices will simultaneously play the selected sound.

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BlackBerry 3G Playbook with NFC leaks out with 2012 roadmap

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BlackBerry 3G Playbook with NFC leaks out with 2012 roadmap

BlackBerry has had its 2012 roadmap leak this week and among an assortment of NFC smartphones there was a BlackBerry Playbook that rocked on HSPA+ 3G, and is likely to feature NFC if the leaked presentation slides are to be believed. We reported just the other day that BlackBerry had supported NFC in a big way which, since Nokia has said goodbye to NFC at the moment, means the Canadian firm is sitting in pole position for supporting the technology throughout their devices. That support appears to now extend to the firm’s Playbook tablet. The first Playbook came sans 3G data connectivity and was billed as the iPad killer. But without a few fundamentals, like unified mail, the Playbook struggled against the iPad and lately the Android-based devices.

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Sequent launches CCS and brings NFC capabilities to apps

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Sequent launches CCS and brings NFC capabilities to apps

The Sequent Software management team have formerly held positions within large corporate entities such as AT&T, Visa and VivoTech and been responsible for deployment of various NFC trials and technology. However, the firm has now released an NFC SDK, for lack of a better word, so that all app developers can add NFC to any apps. That CCS (Core Card Services) product includes the capabilities to add NFC payments, NFC ticketing, coupons and access control.

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BlackBerry NFC tag issues appear to be a thing of the past

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BlackBerry NFC tag issues appear to be a thing of the past

NFC tag issues have plagued the beleaguered BlackBerry NFC smartphones for some months now. You have probably heard the news that the Co-CEO’s over at RIM have stepped down from the firm today. Something that is ironical with that announcement is that BlackBerry issues with NFC appear to be a thing of the past and people are doing some great things with NFC tags these days, but we’ll get to that in a bit. Over at CES a couple of weeks ago we got to speak with one of BlackBerry’s NFC product managers who told us that he didn’t know of any problems reading NFC tags these days since the BlackBerry OS 7.1 update. He invited us to send over all manner of NFC tags and said that the firm would test them out in their labs. We may well hit up some of our friends at some NFC tag manufacturers and put that to the test as there are so many NFC tag types these days and it would be great if RIM tested them all in their labs.

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Sony getting set to launch NFC speaker for Xperia NFC smartphones

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Sony getting set to launch NFC speaker for Xperia NFC smartphones

Sony over at CES featured more NFC solutions and gadgets than anyone else including an NFC speaker that team members let us know that they would be releasing soon in the US. Creating use cases for NFC was very evident at various Sony CES booths, and we still have more to share with you in upcoming posts. We first saw a low-end NFC speaker from Sony at 4G World where we got a personal demonstration from NFC Forum Chairman, Koichi Tagawa. However, the NFC speaker on show at CES was a few steps up from that initial NFC speaker we saw.

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Xperia smart tags allow for environmental NFC profiles with NFC tags

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Xperia smart tags allow for environmental NFC profiles with NFC tags

Sony released the Sony Xperia ION and the Sony Xperia S at CES, and Xperia smart tags came along for the ride. We attended the main Sony press conference at CES where there was no word on NFC in any way. Everything was about TVs, video cameras, and the Xperia smartphones got brief mention. NFC wasn’t on the topic of conversation, which is amazing because Sony unveiled more NFC products than any other large consumer electronics giant at the show. One such product was the Xperia smart tag, which comes along as a set with both the Sony Xperia ION and the Sony Xperia S.

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Sprint Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper hands-on during private CES event

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Sprint Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper hands-on during private CES event

As you may or may not have heard over at CES, Sprint announced that it is going to carry the Galaxy Nexus and the LG Viper NFC smartphones. Well, photographs and details have been very thin on the ground. This is especially true of the LG Viper, which wasn’t even present at the LG booth at CES. What many people didn’t know is that Sprint held a private event over at CES and we were invited. The Galaxy Nexus and the LG Viper were there for some hands-on time and we had the opportunity to play a little.

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ZIK Parrot by Starck high-end NFC headphone prototype shown off at CES

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ZIK Parrot by Starck high-end NFC headphone prototype shown off at CES

Okay, the ZIK Parrot by Starck NFC headphones have been unveiled and we feel lucky enough to count ourselves among the first to see, and probably more relevantly hear them in action. Parrot contacted us before CES and told us that they had something to show us that we would be very interested to see. Turns out they weren’t just hyping. We have been in contact with Parrot for some time, and in that time the firm has hinted to us that they were indeed working on NFC speakers and NFC headphones. We knew whatever product the firm released would be high quality, but the innovation that Parrot showed off at CES surprised even us.

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NFC Forum and Bluetooth SIG publish guide for NFC pairing to Bluetooth

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NFC Forum and Bluetooth SIG publish guide for NFC pairing to Bluetooth

Something that has been sorely needed is a guide for developers to use NFC for Bluetooth pairing and the NFC Forum and Bluetooth SIG have got together to make that happen. It was just last week we wrote about the lack of NFC speakers on the market and one reason for that is many Bluetooth speaker manufacturers just haven’t considered NFC pairing as mainstream as yet. We think that is due to change in the near term, but the NFC Forum document goes well beyond NFC speakers.

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LG Prada 3.0 NFC smartphone dressed up in accessories hits catwalk?

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LG Prada 3.0 NFC smartphone dressed up in accessories hits catwalk?

Today LG and Prada unveiled the new LG Prada 3.0, which is a relatively well specified Android smartphone. However, Engadget is reporting that they have received leaked information that has let them know that the LG Prada 3.0 is an NFC smartphone. We combed through the press release after the LG Prada 3.0 was announced and couldn’t find any mention of it rocking some NFC goodness, but that doesn’t mean that under its covers there isn’t an NFC chip and antenna lurking just waiting to be discovered.

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Where are all the NFC speakers this holiday season?

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Where are all the NFC speakers this holiday season?

NFC speakers are basically Bluetooth speakers that allow NFC to pair the devices. For the iPhone there is a plethora of speakers available, but the Apple products are yet to support NFC. One of the great advantages that NFC brings is the ability to touch and pair NFC smartphones with devices like routers, speakers, earphones, etc. We would have thought that manufacturers would have been clambering over one another to get NFC speakers to market this holiday season but, in fact, choices are very few and far between.

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Expansys has the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus up for pre-order $750

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Expansys has the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus up for pre-order $750

Expansys has the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus NFC smartphone up for pre-order. So, if you are loving the thought of the Galaxy Nexus in your pocket, but need a GSM version that will work with AT&T or T-Mobile and you now don’t have to wait until Verizon’s exclusive comes to an end if you are willing to pony up $749.99. We don’t know when those pre-orders will be fulfilled as yet (and we think you must be hardcore to spend that much on an NFC smartphone), but Expansys will take your order if you want to be among the first to own a Galaxy Nexus GSM version in the States.

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BlackBerry Curve 9380 NFC smartphone trotted out by RIM

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BlackBerry Curve 9380 NFC smartphone announced

RIM wasn’t happy just outing its BlackBerry Bold 9790 today and also announced the BlackBerry Curve 9380 NFC smartphone to join the growing list of 9300 series handsets. In fact, aside from CDMA and GSM variants, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between these phones. So, did we need yet another BlackBerry Curve? Yep, we did and here’s why. Gone is the keyboard of the 9350, 9360 and 9370 and it’s replaced with a full size touch screen. Visually the BlackBerry Curve 9380 is more striking than the other Curves in the same line. It, of course, features NFC (Near Field Communication). Aesthetically, it takes styling cues from the Bold 9790 NFC smartphone that was also announced today. The BlackBerry Bold 9730 NFC smartphone is set to be more cost effective than its bigger Bold brothers and yet looks just as styled and capable. On the inside, the specifications aren’t terribly different to the other Curve NFC smartphone models.

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RIM announces BlackBerry Bold 9790 NFC smartphone

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RIM announces BlackBerry Bold 9790 NFC smartphone

We have known that the BlackBerry Bold 9790 NFC smartphone has been coming for months now. For the longest time we knew this phone by its Bellagio code name, and there have been leaks galore revealing most of the specifications to the next BlackBerry Bold family member to boast NFC. However, now it’s official and RIM has confirmed all the rumors, videos and leaked shots. Being another member of the BlackBerry Bold family, the 9790 comes with slightly different features to its 9900 / 9930 brethren.

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Samsung announces Secu-NFC Chip, combines NFC IC with Secure Element

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Samsung announces Secu-NFC Chip, combines NFC IC with Secure Element

It’s a busy week at CARTES and Samsung just outed its new Secu-NFC Chip, which will no doubt cause some stirring within the industry. The new Samsung Secu-NFC Chip combines an NFC controller and a secure element into one unit allowing various advantages over current ICs. The secure element is the storage area in an NFC phone where personal and sensitive data is securely stored. That storage area isn’t directly accessible through your NFC phone’s operating system and secure elements generally have tamper proof features that ensure the memory locks up if someone attempts to access personal information without proper authentication. What makes Samsung’s announcement notable is that their new SENHRN1, or Secu-NFC Chip, combines both the NFC chip and secure element into one efficient chip.

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It’s a good time to be in the NFC IC market says ABI research

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It’s a good time to be in the NFC IC market says ABI research

ABI Research has another report out that focuses on wireless connectivity and suggests that NFC IC manufacturers are in for a boom when they tot up their year-on-year sales at the end of 2011. Most of us have a Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi direct capable smartphone these days. ABI says that in some markets adoption has hit 100%. However, NFC is the new kid on the block and provides a huge growth area for IC manufacturers.

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HTC Amaze NFC Android phone heading to AT&T

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HTC Amaze NFC Android phone heading to AT&T

NFC Rumors has learned that AT&T is planning to add the HTC Amaze to its growing list of NFC capable smartphones within the next few weeks. The HTC Amaze has already been on T-Mobile since October 10th, and it now appears that AT&T wants in on some of the well specified HTC Amaze action for its own network. However, like every other NFC smartphone that goes on Ma’ Bell, it is not clear at this point whether NFC will be enabled at the time of launch. AT&T has disabled Near Field Communication chips in every NFC phone so far, but rumors are suggesting the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus may be changing things over at the number two MNO.

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HTC Edge quad-core NFC phone coming March or April

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HTC Edge quad-core NFC phone coming March or April

Images and specifications for the HTC Edge quad-core NFC smartphone have leaked online, and if the rumors are true this new phone will be a beast. We have been waiting for quad-core super phones for well over a year now and it looks as if it will be HTC that delivers in the form of the HTC Edge. There has now been a plethora of NFC smartphones announced and as of yet, most are rocking Android. The HTC Edge could well represent the next bump in usability for smartphones, and from what we are hearing, the quad-core wonder phone will support NFC from the get go. In fact, if the rumors are correct the specifications for the HTC Edge set a new premium standard for smartphones that even the rumored Samsung Galaxy S III does not compete with.

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Verizon Galaxy Nexus NFC phone launch date leaked

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Verizon Galaxy Nexus NFC phone launch date

If you have been waiting for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus NFC phone to launch, we can confirm that you won’t be waiting much longer. Our sources have let us know that consumers will be able to pick up a Verizon Galaxy Nexus NFC smartphone on November 21st at their local Verizon store.

From what we are hearing NFC services will be available but don’t expect to see Google Wallet or any other form of payments available on the phone. Word is that Isis is way behind on its deployments and Verizon has been locked into a legal stranglehold where it cannot bring any other NFC mobile wallet on board other than services that are to be offered by Isis. It appears that Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile may not be feeling so hot to trot with the deal they signed with Isis after all.

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NFC Chip Shipments to Surpass 1.2 Billion by 2015

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NFC Chip Shipments to Surpass 1.2 Billion by 2015 according to In-Stat

In-Stat forecasts that NFC Chip shipments will surpass 1.2 billion by 2015. We all know near field communication is growing, but it is always nice to see research houses like In-Stat put some figures to it, and 1.2 billion represents a good portion of the population of the world. With just over 1 in every 5 people globally having access to NFC capabilities in just over 3 years, this just goes to show that the growth of near field communication is set to be rampant. That said, In-Stat are more conservative when it comes to NFC payments, projecting that only 375 million users will be using NFC payments by 2015. That’s just over the population of the United States, which seems a little on the low end to us.

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus NFC phone announced for Verizon in US

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus NFC phone announced for Verizon in US

It’s official, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has been announced and it’s an NFC phone of the hero flavor. There have been months of speculation, including false rumors and poets hinting at what the NFC Samsung Galaxy Nexus may hold in store for consumers. Now we know, and the waiting is nearly over before you have the next pure Google experience phone in your pocket. We do have to say though, that the webcast sucked. Obviously here at NFC Rumors, Near Field Communication is a key element we are interested in and tonight we learned that the mighty NFC is on board as you probably expected from Google. Not only that, but NFC is the core component of Android Beam in the Galaxy Nexus.

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NFC enabled Samsung Galaxy Nexus image surfaces ahead of today’s event

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NFC enabled Samsung Galaxy Nexus image surfaces ahead of todays Ice Cream Sandwich event

Need an NFC enabled Samsung Galaxy Nexus pick me up? As you will know at 9.30pm EST this evening we will get our first glimpses of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus / Samsung Nexus Prime. However this morning NTT DoCoMo jumped the gun a little and said that they will be one of the first MNOs to have and sell the Samsung Galaxy Nexus / Samsung Nexus Prime. Shortly after that statement an image “leaked” showing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus / Samsung Nexus Prime NFC phone in all of its glory which pocketnow received.

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BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 & BlackBerry Bold Bellagio 9790 outed

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BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 and BlackBerry Bold Bellagio 9790 NFC phones getting ready to launch

It isn’t like we didn’t know that the BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 and BlackBerry Bold Bellagio 9790 NFC phones were getting ready to be released, but it’s always nice to get some confirmation from BlackBerry. Surprisingly, it came on the company’s dev blog, which isn’t protected by a login. It’s here that RIM announced that the BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 and BlackBerry Bold Bellagio 9790 NFC phones. The reason RIM felt the need to announce the upcoming NFC phones we have known about for sometime is to give some details to devs about the screen resolutions.

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