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Time Added to the Hourglass: XPERIA Ion uses NFC to Save Consumers Time
Posted by Cole Jones
February 08th, 2012 at 3:53 PM Filed Under Latest News
Time Added to the Hourglass: XPERIA Ion uses NFC to Save Consumers Time
Let’s chat it up about the Sony Xperia Ion, the LTE version of the Xperia S, available on the AT&T 4G network. Earlier this year in January, following CES we did a piece on Sony’s NFC speakers for Xperia NFC smartphones, which you can find here. With 4G compatibility, the phone can be used on GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ where LTE is not available on AT&T. The device is part of the new generation of NXT series (next generation) smartphones and displays a 4.6-inch 720p HD Bravia Engine screen. A 12MP camera that goes from having the device off to snapping a picture in 1.5 seconds by holding down on the dual-stage camera shutter button and 1.5 GHZ dual core processor with Android Gingerbread this quarter to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich during the second quarter. In holding the device, we notice the Sony Ericsson’s signature human curvature back (metal, not plastic like the XPERIA S) that allows users to grip the XPERIA Ion comfortably in their hands.
NFC Forum members show of NFC solutions in Frankfurt
Posted by Seth Planck
February 01st, 2012 at 2:43 PM Filed Under Latest News
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.
Sound Pound uses NFC to replace traditional high five greetings?
Posted by Seth Planck
February 01st, 2012 at 11:34 AM Filed Under Latest News
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.
SITA Lab and Orange get together to trial NFC at airport models
Posted by Seth Planck
January 30th, 2012 at 2:46 PM Filed Under Latest News, Videos
SITA Lab and Orange get together to trial NFC at airport models
SITA Lab and Orange have recently got together to look further into the use cases for NFC for passengers, airlines and the security at airports. The thought of giving an NFC ticket at the airport is not a new concept. However, apart from a couple of airlines trialling NFC with stickers and apps, we are yet to see anything truly ubiquitous and usable for users across the globe. The SITA and Orange research project developed NFC apps for smartphones that allow NFC boarding passes, security check-ins, lounge check-ins and checked them out with real technology to show how NFC holds the possibility to streamline airport processes, improve security and generally make travel less frustrating for flyers. This is in part because IATA and the GSMA have developed industry use cases for NFC that cover check-in, security access, boarding and lounge access. NFC boarding pass information can be loaded securely to the travel wallet from online, over the air or at a kiosk.
Fukumi opens bricks and mortar NFC tag store with UPM RFID in Tokyo
Posted by Seth Planck
January 30th, 2012 at 11:44 AM Filed Under Latest News
Fukumi opens bricks and mortar NFC tag store with UPM RFID in Tokyo
The Fukumi Corporation has opened the world’s first physical bricks and mortar NFC store in Tokyo. It was bound to happen and it probably isn’t too surprising that it happened in Tokyo, and that UPM RFID were involved. We all know that the humble NFC tag has a huge future ahead of it, embedded in products and for home users to write to and create some fancy actions that simply make life a little easier. However, where to get your NFC tag has thus far involved a search online with a one way information source. So, if you want to know what NFC tag is best for your project you have had no one to ask. With that said, there are Android apps like TapThatTag that help you refine your choices and choose the best NFC tag.
Nintendo Wii U controller to rock NFC to enhance gaming
Posted by Seth Planck
January 27th, 2012 at 12:32 PM Filed Under Latest News
Nintendo Wii U controller to rock NFC to enhance gaming
NFC got another boost today as Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo, announced that the Wii U controller would feature NFC “function”. The Wii U controller is set to be compatible with both FeliCa for its home audience and MIFARE for the rest of the world. The President of Nintendo even acknowledged that NFC “is expected to be widely used around the world in the near future.”
All Access: NFC Altering the Access Control Landscape
Posted by Cole Jones
January 26th, 2012 at 8:06 PM Filed Under Latest News
All Access: NFC Altering the Access Control Landscape
Let’s all be honest for a few seconds. I think we all can admit in this social driven economy that we are far more likely to misplace our keys than our mobile devices these days. I know sad, right? Wouldn’t it be such a convenience if our mobile devices could act as keys, giving us access? Imagine a mobile electronic key for access control. Our mobile phones already offer more tools and resources than making calls, receiving calls and texting. Today we use them as cameras, calendar, portable mini computers and even video game consoles. So, when you put things in perspective, loading virtual keys onto your mobile device could be as easy as…well, ringing a doorbell. Of course, thanks to NFC this perspective is very much a reality and is altering the access control landscape as we speak!
Sequent launches CCS and brings NFC capabilities to apps
Posted by Seth Planck
January 26th, 2012 at 12:46 PM Filed Under Latest News
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.
NFC to speed up currency exchange according to Currencies Direct
Posted by Seth Planck
January 25th, 2012 at 9:09 PM Filed Under Latest News
NFC to speed up currency exchange due to added security according to Currencies Direct
Currency Exchange can be expensive and take a lot of time, but the question being asked is whether NFC mobile wallets will speed up that process. Currencies Direct, a UK based non-bank currency exchange firm, think it will and they don’t mind saying why. We here at NFC Rumors have focused on a somewhat related part of the NFC payments ecosystem called remittance payments. This is where migrant workers or even just friends can send money from one another via their NFC smartphones by using a mobile wallet. These remote payments are expected to grow to a staggering $22.5 billion dollars by 2014, and no doubt Currencies Direct aims to be part of that lucrative new ecosystem. The process is near instantaneous and has been being used with SMS technology for years in Africa with the M-Pesa service.
Ordering and paying for snacks in an Australian cinema using NFC
Posted by Seth Planck
January 25th, 2012 at 5:29 PM Filed Under Latest News, Videos
MasterCard Commonwealth Bank and Hoyts partner for ordering and paying for snacks in Australian cinemas using NFC
MasterCard, Commonwealth Bank, and Hoyts cinemas have partnered to bring a new facility for cinema goers that allows an app, NFC tag or QR code to be used to order and pay for food or snacks in Sydney theaters. Australia has embraced NFC and smartphones quickly and, in fact, Google stats show that smartphone penetration in Oz outpaces everywhere else globally. It’s a pretty natural progression of NFC payments to see niche apps that allow you to purchase items and browse menus in different environments. Whether that be on a plane, at a theme park or even at a cinema (Americans, read movies).
TazTag shows off the TazPad and NFC smart monitors at CES
Posted by Seth Planck
January 25th, 2012 at 5:19 PM Filed Under Events, Galleries, Latest News, Videos
TazTag shows off the TazPad and NFC smart monitors at CES
It was last year at CES that a startup French firm called TazTag first showed of its TazPad NFC tablet concept. It wasn’t the firm’s first foray into NFC and, in fact, they were known in Europe for kiosks that supported NFC interactions and transactions. Since then, the TazPad production NFC tablet, with a helpful sprinkling of ZigBee, has been deployed to integrators and the orders just keep coming in according to executives at the firm. Of course, the fact that NFC can be read on both side of the device, its AuthenTec fingerprint scanner and its low price didn’t hurt its chances any. The fact that the TazPad was the first NFC tablet to hit the market globally also gave it a certain fame and a lot of coverage, including here on NFC Rumors.
Duly Note[d]: The Galaxy Note is missing at least one very important “note”
Posted by Cole Jones
January 25th, 2012 at 12:27 PM Filed Under Latest News![Duly Note[d]: The Galaxy Note is missing at least one very important “note”](http://www.nfcrumors.com/wp-content/themes/FLER/includes/timthumb.php?q=100&zc=1&w=630&h=&src=http://www.nfcrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/post-nfc-samsung-galaxy-note.jpg)
Duly Note[d]: Something the Galaxy Note failed to “note”
The rumors were answered at CES about the new Samsung Galaxy Note LTE for AT&T. The smartphone-meets-tablet device, or “superphone”, definitely created something to talk about. The two-in-one is available in carbon blue and ceramic white with AT&T. The highly talked about 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED touchscreen display crushes its competitors (HTC Titan and Nexus S) in size and appearance. The touch of 4G LTE is an added bonus especially for the U.S. market.
BlackBerry NFC tag issues appear to be a thing of the past
Posted by Seth Planck
January 23rd, 2012 at 3:15 PM Filed Under Latest News
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.
OpenWays launches NFC hotel key system without SWP carrier costs
Posted by Seth Planck
January 23rd, 2012 at 2:35 PM Filed Under Latest News, Videos
OpenWays launches NFC hotel key without SWP carrier costs with a little help from Nokia and NXP which can be added to existing hotel locks
OpenWays isn’t the first time we have seen an NFC hotel key system. If you remember VingCard, an ASSA ABLOY company launched a pilot in Stockholm last year. However, the emerging mobile network operator joint ventures and associated costs to firms that want to provision secure data over networks to secure elements has become costly at best. In essence, launching an NFC based company that needs to access a secure element has had costs added that prove too expensive for many firms to turn a profit.
Mobile World Congress NFC rumors leaking left, right and center
Events RumorPosted by Seth Planck
January 20th, 2012 at 5:24 PM Filed Under Events, Latest News, Rumor
Mobile World Congress NFC rumors leaking left, right and center
Mobile World Congress is coming up this next month, and rumors are rife over here at NFC Rumors about all kinds of announcements that are likely to be made. We have been so busy with our CES coverage that we have just been stacking them up, but we know you love some good rumors from industry insiders, so we thought we would let some fly. As usual our NFC rumors come from individuals on the inside of the industry. Yep, those in the know. They tell us what they can, but often have to leave out some details so they don’t identify themselves with specific knowledge that only a few know. So, think what will you of the rumors, and let’s just see which ones come to pass.
Yale demos NFC door locks solutions at CES for Android, iOS and BB
Posted by Seth Planck
January 20th, 2012 at 4:30 PM Filed Under Galleries, Latest News, Videos
Yale demos NFC door locks solutions at CES for Android, iOS and BB
We have reported on Yale and their NFC door locks before. However, we have now seen the locks in action and have far more details about how Yale (an ASSA ABLOY company) plans to bring their solutions to market. The Yale NFC door locks are an exciting prospect because they represent quality products for access control that are built for consumers. Yes, later this year we will be able to cost effectively buy NFC door locks for our homes, offices, and anywhere else we would like to secure and use access control facilities.
Narian shows off NFC retail experience solutions at NRF show
Posted by Seth Planck
January 19th, 2012 at 5:16 PM Filed Under Latest News
Narian shows off NFC retail experience solutions at NRF show
Yes, the NRF show has just finished up and Narian Technologies was on the floor showing off its full suite of non-payment NFC services that help retailers maximize profits cost effectively. If you are an NFC enthusiast and haven’t heard of Narian Technologies we only have one thing to say to you – Have you been living under a rock for the last year or so? Narian is far older than a year old though, and led by industry expert, Einar Rosenberg. When Narian isn’t helping the top names in NFC develop new products, services or simply giving consulting services, the firm is hard at work developing and deploying its own full suite of retail services that use NFC to prevent lost sales and maximize profit in retail situations.
WDC Helsinki 2012 launches NFC apps and UPM RFID NFC tag smart posters
Posted by Seth Planck
January 19th, 2012 at 1:21 PM Filed Under Latest News
WDC Helsinki 2012 launches NFC apps and UPM RFID NFC tag smart posters
NFC is being used more and more in large scale events and WDC Helsinki 2012 is no exception. The World Design Capital (WDC) is chosen every two years and this time around Helsinki has been chosen along with other Finnish cities Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti. The objective of the World Design Capital year is to improve the daily lives and environment of the residents and to develop public services and business activities through design.
Inside Secure supports new Kovio RF Barcode ready NFC tags
Posted by Seth Planck
January 18th, 2012 at 11:38 AM Filed Under Latest News
Inside Secure supports new Kovio RF Barcode ready NFC tags
Inside Secure has announced that it now supports the Kovio RF Barcode ready NFC tags in its Open NFC protocol stack. Okay, that may be a bit of a clunky headline, so allow us to explain why this is big news and what it means for the adoption of NFC on the whole. The overall goal of NFC tags has been to allow them to become very cost effective, especially for retail usage. The concept that has been flying around over the last few years has been printed NFC tags that use printed silicon to achieve mass market penetration at a fraction of the cost of conventional NFC tags.
BlackBerry Tag deployed already in OS 7.1 update for NFC sharing
Posted by Seth Planck
January 16th, 2012 at 11:53 PM Filed Under Galleries, Latest News, Videos
BlackBerry Tag deployed already in OS 7.1 update with NFC goodness all round
You have probably heard of BlackBerry Tag and its NFC capabilities. We popped over to the Blackberry booth at CES to see Blackberry Tag in action so we could see improvements made to the way the OS deals with NFC. Although we couldn’t see how the new 7.1 OS deals with NFC tags, which was a major issue when the NFC capable BlackBerry smartphones launched, we did see its beaming or sharing features in action. We must say that BlackBerry Tag worked flawlessly in the demo we received from Annu Dawar, who is a Product Manager for Research in Motion.
Shots of AT&T LTE Samsung Galaxy Note outed, said to feature NFC
RumorPosted by Seth Planck
January 06th, 2012 at 2:46 PM Filed Under Latest News
Shots of AT&T LTE Samsung Galaxy Note outed, no official word on NFC but tipsters show a board that is rumored to be from the Note with an NFC IC onboard
These are official leaked shots of the jumbo sized AT&T LTE Samsung Galaxy Note. Last week Sam Mobile reported that it had proof that the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note would harbor an NFC chip. A recent trend with NFC smartphone announcements is to not feature NFC at all. AT&T and other Isis members have attempted to keep the NFC ability just until Isis is ready to roll, and hence we see a lot of NFC smartphones launching and have to wait until they get tear downs to see whether NFC is actually onboard.
WIMA NFC Monaco 2012 calls for papers to be submitted
Posted by Seth Planck
January 05th, 2012 at 12:52 PM Filed Under NFC Briefs
WIMA NFC Monaco 2012 calls for papers to be submitted for its 2012 6th Global NFC Applications Products & Services Congress
As we mentioned in our last post WIMA Monaco is getting closer and here is the opportunity to present in front of delegates at the conference or have your paper published in the conference programme. WIMA generally attracts attendees and speakers from every facet of the burgeoning NFC ecosystem. This year there is also opportunities for Near Field Communication solution providers to make a joint presentation with an end user partner.
NFC Forum and WIMA Monaco call for entries for NFC competition
Posted by Seth Planck
January 05th, 2012 at 11:46 AM Filed Under Latest News
NFC Forum and WIMA Monaco call for entries for the Tap Into Innovation: NFC Global Competition 2012
WIMA Monaco is coming up fast, and in our small but rapidly growing industry we like to call NFC, it’s kind of a big deal to win an award at WIMA. The NFC Forum and WIMA get together and put on the Tap Into Innovation: NFC Global Competition every year, and more than a few companies apply for the honor. So, if your firm thrives on being recognized as an innovator in the NFC space and you want your profile raised, it probably wouldn’t hurt you too much to enter the WIMA competition.
Broadcom brings NFC and apps to 2 billion existing TVs
Posted by Seth Planck
January 04th, 2012 at 1:25 PM Filed Under Latest News
Broadcom brings NFC and apps to 2 billion existing TVs by converting them to Smart TVs
This morning sees Broadcom make an exciting announcement that is likely to change the way we use TV and, of course, incorporates NFC. We have seen the Boxee Box, we have seen Apple TV and we have seen Google TV and the Roku box. Many consumers are abandoning the airwaves in preference to connected apps on Smart TVs, but as yet there has been no NFC incorporated. That is set to change with this morning’s announcement from Broadcom, who are probably one of the largest semiconductor firms in the US.
NFC Taxis hit multiple US cities with NBC & VeriFone
Posted by Seth Planck
January 04th, 2012 at 11:43 AM Filed Under Latest News
NFC Taxis hit multiple US cities with NBC & VeriFone as they partner for NFC based out-of-home marketing using NBC and Universal content
NBCUniversal has announced that along with VeriFone, it intends to advertise and interact with consumers in captive out-of-home locations starting with NFC taxis in multiple US cities. Consumers can expect to gain access to NBC’s news, information and entertainment programming in more than 12,000 taxi cabs as well as at thousands of gas stations which started a couple of days ago. NBC also plans to use NFC marketing on other digital out-of-home platforms in the future.