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Google Wallet is live but don’t get your NFC Samsung Nexus S 4G from Sprint
Posted by Seth Planck
September 20th, 2011 at 4:35 PM Filed Under Latest News, NFC Deals
Google Wallet is live but don’t get your NFC Samsung Nexus S 4G from Sprint
Yes we know, we know, the Google Wallet with Google Offers conjoined is all very exciting. All very exciting if you own a Samsung Nexus S 4G that is, especially because Google is pre-loading the Google Wallet with $10 for free! Alas the NFC wonder that is Google Wallet only works with the Samsung Nexus S 4G because that’s the only phone that is on Sprint and houses a Secure Element which is where your secure apps (like Google Wallet) live. So if you have gotten giddy at the thought of waving your NFC phone around like Harry Potter and magically making money disappear from your bank account, you will need the aforementioned phone. In the press release yesterday, Sprint recommended that you go give them $99.99 and they promised they’d send back $50 in a mail-in-rebate. We have to tell you that Sprint’s deal sucks and you can do a lot better on that Google Wallet capable phone if you take a quick look around online. What’s that? You don’t have the time? Well, it’s a good job we went and did it for you then. Before we get to the deals let’s take a quick recap of Samsung Nexus S 4G specification. We hope you are paying attention because we will be asking questions later.
AT&T Nexus S NFC phone coming to Best Buy July 24th for $100 on contract
Posted by Seth Planck
July 21st, 2011 at 8:49 PM Filed Under Latest News, Press Release, Videos
AT&T Nexus S NFC phone coming to Best Buy July 24th for $100 on contract
Yes, the Samsung Nexus S is finally making its way to Ma’Bell, so even AT&T’ers can have a taste of NFC. It isn’t like you haven’t been able to use the Samsung Nexus S on AT&T before – it’s just if you have wanted to, it would have cost you a cool $600 for the privilege. Even then the phone was not optimized for the network, but that is now set to change as from Sunday. Best Buy will be selling the Samsung Nexus S as from this Sunday for $99.99 with an obligatory two-year contract according to the Samsung press release below.
Samsung Nexus S on AT&T may not have HSPA+
The Nexus S on AT&T probably won’t have speedy HSPA+ data so you would have to deal with good old 3G. If you have been chomping at the bit for the phone, which let’s face it is still a gorgeous piece of hardware that has NFC and is set to get Android updates before most phones out there. Alternatively head on over to the “Now Network” and through Amazon and WireFly where you can get the phone with WiMax for $50. Samsung Nexus S 4G at Amazon or head over to WireFly.
Whichever way you look at it, if you want a Samsung Nexus S, there has never been a better time to buy. With the Sprint version, the get out of jail charge is just $200 and falls further month by month, which will come close to a resale value when something bigger and better comes along. However, if you are set on an AT&T Nexus S and want to get it ordered now you can pre-order online at Best Buy.
Galaxy S II spotted, and is heading to Sprint as the Galaxy S Within, but is it the NFC i9101?
Feature RumorPosted by Seth Planck
July 19th, 2011 at 2:31 PM Filed Under Galleries, Rumor, Videos
Galaxy S II spotted and is heading to Sprint as the Galaxy S Within, but is it the NFC i9101?
The CDMA Samsung Galaxy S Within i9101, or as we more commonly know it, Samsung Galaxy S II, has been spotted all dressed up and ready to roll with Sprint branding. The Galaxy S II has certainly taken its sweet time to get here after launching in Korea ages ago and in the UK in June. The rumor has indicated that the smartphone will be available on the “Now Network” on July 24th, from an uncertain Sprint employee. So, your oh so long wait could be over and you may well be walking around with the Galaxy S Within your pocket. Another piece of related news is that the Samsung Galaxy S Within is said to ship with Android 2.3.4, so it would presumably support Google Talk video chat straight out of the gate. From the leaked photographs, we see that the camera housing has changed shape from a rectangular opening to an oval one.We also see a large Sprint logo adorning the back of the case, but what we don’t see is the FCC certification. If the phone is indeed due to launch on the 24th of this month, we would expect to see it come through the FCC soon.
Is the Galaxy S Within, the i9101 NFC phone?
There has been a lot of speculation as to whether the U.S. launch of the Galaxy S Within is in fact the Galaxy S II GT-i9101 NFC smartphone. Some media outlets are swearing that it is the NFC variant of the by now legendary superphone but there has been no evidence surface to confirm this. Other rumors are suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy S II GT-i9101 is due to be released in the UK by the end of this month, which if true, does add credence to the possibility that the Sprint Galaxy S Within could well be the i9101.
Sprint slashes price of the Google Nexus S NFC phone
Posted by Seth Planck
July 15th, 2011 at 10:50 PM Filed Under Featured, Videos
Sprints slashes price of the Google Nexus S 4G NFC phone
Pick up a Google Nexus S 4G for $99 today or pay half of that with Wirefly and Amazon
It was only last week that we reported that you could pick a Google Nexus S 4G up for $49. Since then, Sprint has slashed the price of the Google Nexus S to $99 on a two year contract. Obviously the deals we reported will save you a further $50 that you can spend on whatever your heart desires, but it’s interesting to see the Google Nexus S being reduced to bargain basement pricing when it is far more capable than other phones that currently cost you twice as much or more. It is either being reduced to make way for the Google Nexus Prime, or it may be that Sprint and Google want to capitalize on the Google Nexus S 4G while it is still the only NFC phone on the market that will work with Google Wallet and has a secure element. Remember, it will also get Ice Cream Sandwich faster than any other phone. $50 is buying a lot of phone today, s0 here are the links where you can pick up a Google Nexus S 4G for $49- Samsung Nexus S 4G at Amazon or head over to WireFly. Head on after the break for full Google Nexus S 4G specifications and to see the video.
Mobile malware security threats set to explode in 2012
FeaturePosted by Seth Planck
July 15th, 2011 at 4:56 PM Filed Under Featured
Mobile malware security threats set to explode in 2012
Mobile malware security threats are set to explode in 2012 according to new studies. Let’s face – most people’s phones are not secure and juxtaposed to that little fact that there is a culture shift that has seen mobile banking slowly becoming a way of life. Many of us check balances, transfer funds and use other services our financial institutions allow on our mobile phones. Mobile payments are around the corner and in a unprecedented shift towards convergence we are set to store all of our financial data in one place: our phones. In the past, in a pre-convergence era, your PIN was only in your head, your checkbook was separate to your bank or credit card and there was no e-commerce at all. Over recent years this has changed for the sake of convenience, but amazingly users have not installed security apps to help manage hacking threats or mobile malware on smartphones.
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp hacked phones – privacy be dammed, mobile malware needs to be kept under control
After the Rupert Murdoch British tabloid News of the World scandal that has rocked the world over the last few weeks, it has become apparent that our mobile phones are not as safe as they should be. The News Corp paper was able to hack phones to read emails and listen to voicemail messages so it could publish sensationalist news articles. If you think the Rupert Murdoch / News Corp / Fox case is a one off, you are mistaken. Phone hacking is becoming more pervasive and mobile malware being used to exploit personal data appears to be the name of the game for hackers these days. In this article we are referring to hackers as people that are trying to expose and exploit your financial details.
Turkcell T20 announced which is a rebranded Huawei Sonic with Cep-T Cüzdan NFC mobile wallet
FeaturePosted by Seth Planck
July 13th, 2011 at 3:01 AM Filed Under Featured, Galleries, Latest News, Videos
Turkcell T20 announced which is a rebranded Huawei Sonic NFC smartphone with Cep-T Cüzdan NFC mobile payments
Huawei Sonic U8650NFC NFC smartphone hits Turkcell re-branded as the Turkcell T20 and is launched with the new Turkcell Cep-T Cüzdan NFC mobile payment program backed by MasterCard.
The Huawei Sonic U8650 gets its first home on Turkcell, re-branded as the Turkcell T20 and comes packaged with a brand spanking new NFC mobile payments program called the Turkcell Cep-T Cüzdan. We had heard that Turkcell was due to pick up the sub $200 Android NFC phone, but didn’t know whether it would hit India, Australia or Turkey first. We even saw it breeze past the FCC here in the US. To say the Huawei Sonic U8650, or Turkcell T20 as it is now known, on Turkcell has piqued the interest of the general public is an understatement. When we first found out about the Huawei NFC phone and posted about it our site got slammed by eager NFC fans looking for specs and details. Well, it appears your wait is over.
Huawei Sonic / Turkcell T20 specifications
The Huawei Sonic U8650 / Turkcell T20 is one of the world’s first commercially available UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card), NFC – SWP (Single Wire Protocol) Android based device. Which basically translates as the phone itself has an integrated NFC chip right on the circuit board, but needs a SIM to act as a secure element for safe mobile payments.
Samsung Romania may have confirmed Google Nexus Prime rumors
RumorPosted by Seth Planck
July 12th, 2011 at 3:22 PM Filed Under Rumor
Samsung Romania may have unwittingly confirmed Google Nexus Prime rumors
Did Samsung just out itself with regards to the rumored Google Nexus Prime NFC phone? It may well have on its Romanian Twitter feed, what seemingly confirms the existence of the Nexus Prime NFC beast. Oh, how we love sharp eyed reporters and PR faux-pas early in the morning! The Romanian paper, Ziarul Financiar recently mirrored trusted rumors that BGR had received and the Samsung Romania PR team tweeted the article on Twitter. Why would they do that if there was no truth in the rumor? Ha! Caught red-handed. Whether or not this is a misstep, it appears to the outside world to confirm the rumor. The Google Nexus Prime tweets have since been removed but we have a screenshot after the break for your viewing pleasure.
Google Wallet has security covered, Myths dispelled
FeaturePosted by Seth Planck
July 10th, 2011 at 4:20 PM Filed Under Latest News, Soap Box
Google Wallet has security covered, Myths dispelled
If you have followed Google’s foray in to the mobile wallet industry with its Google Wallet product, you will have seen how the issue and subject of security has gone hand in hand with the news. Every pundit everywhere has reported on security fears and potential weaknesses in the security when using a mobile wallet. We ourselves did a piece on the security of Google Wallet back in May which you can find here, but we took a little more of a pragmatic approach. The irony is that other forms of payment are less secure and yet receive no such analysis or scrutiny. Today, we want to give you the real situation and an objective view on the secure nature of a mobile wallet and contrast it against what you are already using for payments. Google Wallet and other mobile wallets are equally as, if not more safe, than what you are using today and here is why…
Why a mobile wallet like Google Wallet has more security than cash
If you lose or have cash stolen from you, there is no way to cancel a transaction. There is no way to track that cash unless you record the serial number of every bill or note you ever pass. If cash is stolen from, you it is a frictionless process for a thief to use that payment method in any way they choose. Your wallet or purse could be stolen, you could leave it in the back of a cab, and its contents are as insecure as can be. The only benefit cash has is that it is finite in nature. The thief can only spend what is represented in the value of the bills or notes. Do you consider this great security? Cash is insecure and we would like to see more “supposed” security experts recognizing this.
NFC phone $50, bargain for Google Nexus S 4G
Posted by Seth Planck
July 09th, 2011 at 5:03 PM Filed Under Latest News, Videos
NFC phone $50, bargain for Google Nexus S 4G
Google Nexus S 4G is now only $49.99 at both Amazon and WireFly. We don’t often advertise where to get products, but from time to time a bargain comes around we think you will want to know about, and today is one of those days. If you have been wanting an NFC capable phone and you live in the US, you will have known that Sprint has the Google Nexus S 4G. The pure Google experience smartphone is still one of the most capable phones available and is the only phone at this time that is NFC-enabled. In fact, it was only Thursday that we reported that the secure element was being enabled on the Google Nexus S 4G in an update that improved the overall handling of the phone. The Google Nexus S 4G will also be among the first phones to rock the new Android OS Ice Cream Sandwich.
Google Wallet NFC Capable phone under $50 rocking on WiMax it can only be the Google Nexus S 4G
At this time, the two big features that people are looking for in their smartphones are NFC and the ability to slipstream along on a 4G network. Sprint has WiMax at this time and it is pretty fast with peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; and real world average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps. The Google Nexus S 4G has NFC and Sprint has partnered with Google for the Google Wallet. You can order your Google Nexus S 4G today and take on no real risk and be able to upgrade when you want. See below for details on that.
How to enable the NFC secure element in your Google Nexus S 4G
Posted by Seth Planck
July 07th, 2011 at 11:35 PM Filed Under Latest News
How to enable the NFC secure element in your Google Nexus S 4G
If you own a Google Nexus S 4G, you may be wondering why the NFC secure element you have heard so much about has never been enabled. Simply put, there has been no reason to have it enabled and it has required an update to enable it. The NFC secure element part of your phone is geared towards protecting sensitive data like credit card details, general account details and future uses, like driving licenses and other forms of identification. However, a Sprint update that will be winging its way to you within the next few days is set to change that. Sprint is floating the new update over the air starting on the 11th of July (4 days from now) and it will be pushed out over a 4 day period.
What else will come with the Sprint update aside from enabling the Google Nexus S 4G NFC secure element?
Well, we can crush your fantasies right now by telling you that it’s not Ice Cream Sandwich. Not yet anyway. The update does, however, contain some much needed improvements that should let your Google Nexus S 4G rock a little harder. Firstly, you will get a 4G settings widget which should allow you to save some juice when you are not actively using faster data. You can also expect TTY and NI support to be added, but what you will probably be more enthused to hear is that your little pocket beast is getting fixes that allow for improved WiFi capability, speakerphone audio quality and 4G throughput and signal acquisition. The OTA update will also improve the tuned signal strength indicators. The inclusion of the NFC secure element being enabled is just the cherry on the cake, so it’s all good!
10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet
FeaturePosted by Seth Planck
July 02nd, 2011 at 4:05 PM Filed Under Featured, Latest News
10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet
Today, we take a look at 10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet. With technological progression, there tends to be a new set of risks that come along to match. Mobile wallets seem to follow this pattern and many people are anxious about using their phone as their payment system in their everyday transactions. However, with the technology available mobile payments have the potential to be the most secure payment system we have ever had. We at NFC Rumors hear from our readers everyday that they have concerns, and with just a few simple steps those concerns can be negated; although, the emerging contactless industry will have to provide a few upgrades to make this reality. So, without further ado here are our 10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet.
10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet
Our 10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet list is broken down into two sections. The first half of the 10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet are piratical things you can to to protect your sensitive data. The second half of our 10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet is geared more towards how smart phone manufacturers and our financial institutions can protect us.
1. Add a pin to your lock screen.
This should be your first line of defense and out of our 10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet should be the first tactic you use. It may be able to be hacked and disabled by someone with the know how but it buys you time to realize your phone has gone missing and disable your account. This one simple action could be all you need to secure your mobile wallet out of our 10 ways you can secure your mobile wallet, but is certainly not the only step you should take. It is also important to make this pin different to every other pin you use on your phone.
HTC Desire could get NFC compatibility with upcoming Gingerbread update
RumorPosted by Seth Planck
July 01st, 2011 at 4:22 PM Filed Under Latest News, Rumor
Over the last couple of months there has been flip-flop news about whether or not the HTC Desire would get Google’s Gingerbread OS which includes NFC compatibility. Yesterday the company confirmed on its Facebook page that it would indeed be upgrading its HTC Desire to run on Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
This is the quote from the company “Hi all- We’re excited to share that we are testing our build of Gingerbread for HTC Desire and will start doing quality assurance for it this week. When we have an update on availability we’ll post another announcement. Thanks for your support!”
HTC is testing Gingerbread on its Desire smartphone at the moment and should be releasing the update over the air within the next few weeks.
HTC Desire Gingerbread rollout date not announced
First released in April of last year the HTC Desire is starting to age, and it was feared that the device would not have enough memory to run on Android 2.3. The company had said it would not be updating the HTC Desire on the 15th of June but changed its mind within an hour and we have been waiting for an update ever since. The smartphone features a 3.7 inch display and zips along with a 1GHz processor and has 512 MB of RAM. The HTC desire ships with Android 2.1, or Eclair, and has a 5 mega pixel shooter with flash and geotagging capability.
Samsung Galaxy S II launch imminent in Canada on Bell, SaskTel & Virgin Mobile
RumorPosted by Seth Planck
June 30th, 2011 at 10:46 AM Filed Under Latest News, Rumor
Samsung Galaxy S II launch imminent in Canada on Bell, SaskTel & Virgin Mobile
Yes, you saw it correctly, the Samsung Galaxy S II superphone has release dates in Canada and they aren’t far off, which leads us to wonder. Don’t you love those days when you walk outside, smell the clean air and revel in the fact that the crime rate is minuscule, or that healthcare is free and good? Or, perhaps do you prefer the days when the Samsung Galaxy S II is going to be launched imminently and you know the Yanks won’t even get a look in? You know, the days when you know it’s good to be Canadian. We wish we could feel that, but we are in the States and can only look north green with envy, barricade ourselves in our homes with guns protecting our $700 bottle of pills. Only the bloody British can laugh at us all.
Samsung Galaxy S II Launching for as little as $79.99 in Canada
Canada may be America’s hat, but that appears to be only because that is where the brains are. We want to know how the Canadians have wrangled this year’s most anticipated phone before America even has credible rumors of a release and then have managed to get it for $80. Yup, SaskTel will let you walk away with a Samsung Galaxy S II for $79.99 and won’t even call the police. Well, as long you sign a 3 year contract that is. No official launch date as yet, just that the phone will be available in the coming weeks.
Google Nexus Prime and a host of other NFC smartphones to released with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
RumorPosted by Seth Planck
June 27th, 2011 at 7:35 PM Filed Under Latest News, Rumor
Google Nexus Prime and a host of other NFC smartphones to released with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Google Nexus Prime NFC smartphone featuring Android Ice Cream Sandwich Rumor alert! Wow, has it really been ten days since we posted about the Nexus 4G? Since that time, it appears to have all gone quiet – well that is until now! Word on the street, or in this case BGR, is that this new rumored pure Android experience NFC smartphone could be called the Google Nexus Prime, because the the codename for the product is Prime.
Google Nexus Prime, more than meets the eye?
Quick “catch me up” with Google Nexus Prime, featuring Android Ice Cream Sandwich, rumors so far
Ten days ago we let you know there was a kinda, sorta, confirmed new Samsung Google Nexus in the works with a likely release date sometime in November. Like every other Google Nexus product, it is supposed to offer the pure Android experience and is rumored to dump the physical buttons we have all come to love. We also let you know that this new phone would feature the OMAP4460 next-generation dual-core 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz CPU for its processing power. We had also learned that it would feature a display described to be a 720p HD “monster-sized” screen. The Google Nexus Prime is also rumored to feature HD video recording and play back at 1080p, and the camera is said to be an advanced 5-megapixel sensor delivering class-leading image quality in addition to superior low-light performance. The rear camera is reported to be backed up by a 1 mega pixel camera up front, and of course, a phone of this magnitude will rock on LTE. Okay. you are officially caught up. Let us continue…
Need an Open Source NFC commercial-grade protocol stack? Try Open NFC™
FeaturePosted by Seth Planck
June 04th, 2011 at 2:46 PM Filed Under Featured
Open Source NFC development platforms are out there.
Here at NFC Rumors, we are not only passionate about writing about NFC – we also want to see NFC reach its full potential in our everyday lives, and the Open Source NFC community will be a major part of bring NFC to the masses. For that to happen we need dev’s to embrace putting some Open Source NFC goodness in their products and services. Just to be clear, we mean from the colossal OEM’s down to the bedroom programmers (you know if this is you, your idea of a uniform is underwear!) and everything in between.
Looking for an Open Source NFC API or a near field communications SDK?
FeaturePosted by Seth Planck
June 03rd, 2011 at 3:16 PM Filed Under Featured
Looking for an Open Source NFC API or a near field communications SDK?
Are you searching for an Open Source NFC API or SDK? As Near Field Communications gains traction many programmers and developers will undoubtedly find ways to integrate NFC features into applications and web projects. If industry pundits are correct NFC-enabled devices will become the majority and not the minority and have the potential to touch many aspects of our lives. We expect to see NFC reader / writers built into our computers, our TV’s, tablets and smartphones and that’s just for starters and so a lot of software needs to be written. But where do developers start?
Oh my! Is this i9101 the NFC-enabled Samsung Galaxy S II?
RumorPosted by Seth Planck
May 30th, 2011 at 10:48 PM Filed Under Rumor
Is this i9101 the NFC-enabled Samsung Galaxy S II?
What’s thinner than an iPhone, rocks a 1.2 GHZ dual core processor and will soon join the elite stable of NFC-enabled smartphones? Well in the case of the blurry photo above we hope that GT-i9101 means it’s the NFC-enabled Samsung Galaxy S II. Since its launch, the Galaxy S II has received rave reviews. Sammy has sold a million units of these power house smartphones bearing the Galaxy S moniker in South Korea alone and the U.K. wasn’t too displeased with this phone either. However, it lacked a certain je ne sais quoi to fully be the bleeding edge monster we all hoped it would be, while its stable mate the Nexus S took all the glory bathing in its NFC-enabled glory. (show off)