NFC

Cars
December 27, 2012
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Hyundai Connectivity Concept

Smartphones will replace keys on upcoming Hyundai cars

By on December 27, 2012 at 10:45 PM.

Smartphones will replace keys on upcoming Hyundai cars

NFC is becoming more prevalent in the mobile space. The technology has been featured in a number of smartphones and tablets from manufacturers such as Samsung (005930), Motorola, Nokia (NOK) and Research in Motion (RIMM), among others. The possibilities with NFC appear to be endless, from mobile payments and wireless sharing to one day even controlling our vehicles. South Korean automaker Hyundai (005380) recently announced plans to incorporate the technology into its vehicles in the next few years. The company’s new Connectivity Concept will allow drivers to control various aspects of their car with an NFC-equipped smartphone. More →

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Business
December 20, 2012
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NFC Adoption

NFC projected to thrive, but not because of mobile wallet apps

By on December 20, 2012 at 9:54 AM.

NFC projected to thrive, but not because of mobile wallet apps

Near Field Communication (NFC) is one of those technologies that sounds revolutionary on paper, but in reality, is much more complicated than just slapping a chip inside of a smartphone. Apple’s (AAPL) decision to not include NFC in the iPhone 5 is grounded around the fact that “it’s not a solution to any current problem.” Meanwhile, companies such as Samsung (005930) and Nokia (NOK) have already embraced NFC and are marketing it as more than just a mobile wallet replacement. And although Apple’s reluctance has been called a “serious blow for the technology”, several analysts from different firms say consumers are warming up to the feature, albeit very slowly, according to ComputerWorld.

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Business
December 6, 2012
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NFC Growth Forecast

iPhone 5′s lack of NFC called ‘a serious blow for the technology’

By on December 6, 2012 at 3:34 PM.

iPhone 5′s lack of NFC called ‘a serious blow for the technology’

Phil Schiller, Apple’s (AAPL) senior vice president of worldwide marketing has said before that the iPhone 5 doesn’t have NFC because “it’s not clear that NFC is the solution to any current problem.” While most Android smartphones happily tout that NFC’s wireless capabilities are the future of mobile payments, Juniper Research analyst Dr. Windsor Holden wrote in his latest report that NFC growth will slow from the previously forecasted $180 billion industry by 2017 to $110 billion. Holden pins his projections for NFC’s slower growth on Apple’s failure to include NFC in its iPhone 5. He says the company’s decision is “a serious blow for the technology” and that it will be “even more difficult to persuade consumers – and retailers – to embrace what amounts to a wholly new means of payment.” Juniper Research is projecting that North America and Western Europe will have a “two-year lag” in growth based on the lower rate of NFC adoption in point of sale systems.

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Business
October 19, 2012
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NFC Growth Forecast

With or without Apple, NFC mobile payment market to hit $100 billion

By on October 19, 2012 at 5:13 PM.

With or without Apple, NFC mobile payment market to hit $100 billion

A number of industry watchers have voiced concerns that touchless mobile payment solutions will not truly find widespread adoption until Apple (AAPL) joins the fray and adds the functionality to its popular iPhone line of smartphones. While Apple has yet to give any indication that its smartphones will support NFC-based mobile payments in the future, one firm is confident that the market will soon take off like a rocket.

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mobile
September 27, 2012
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Business cards go high-tech with programmable NFC chips [video]

By on September 27, 2012 at 9:05 PM.

Business cards go high-tech with programmable NFC chips [video]

Moo NFC Business Cards

One would think that with the rise of smartphones, business cards would have become a relic already. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and business cards are a necessary evil when networking. Moo.com’s new business aren’t like regular paper cards, however. They’ve got an NFC chip inside of them that can be assigned to direct to any URL. Basically, they’re re-writeable business cards that can highlight a new social network profile or new website without ever having to be reprinted. And like any NFC-enabled label, all that’s needed is a smartphone with NFC capabilities like the Galaxy S III or Galaxy Nexus. Exchanging and storing contact information is as easy as tapping the card to the smartphone and starting today, Moo.com is giving away NFC business cards to the first 150,000 customers who order a regular pack of business cards from the company. The NFC business cards will then be available for everyone to purchase in early 2013. Moo.com’s full press release and video demonstration follows below.

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Business
September 24, 2012
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Apple rivals to combat record-breaking iPhone 5 sales with… NFC?

By on September 24, 2012 at 12:00 PM.

Apple rivals to combat record-breaking iPhone 5 sales with… NFC?

iPhone 5 Competition NFC

Competing with Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone is never easy — the handset has been the world’s most popular single smartphone model for years, and has made Apple the most valuable company in the world — but according to a new report, NFC will serve as Apple rivals’ best bet for differentiating their devices from the iPhone 5. Apple basically called the short-range wireless data transfer technology a solution without a problem, but according to Digitimes’ unnamed industry sources, “the lack of NFC (near field communication) functionality in the latest iPhone model will allow rival brands to differentiate their products and to become priority partners for launching NFC-enabled applications and services in cooperation with financial and telecom service companies.” More →

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mobile
September 13, 2012
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Apple exec explains why iPhone 5 doesn’t have NFC or wireless charging

By on September 13, 2012 at 5:00 PM.

Apple exec explains why iPhone 5 doesn’t have NFC or wireless charging

iPhone 5 NFC Wireless Charging

Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 5 is getting a lot of flak for being iterative, predictable and even disappointing to some. Everywhere we turn, we keep hearing the same story: Why doesn’t the iPhone 5 have a bigger screen, a larger battery, a higher megapixel camera and Near Field Communication (NFC)? AllThingsD caught up with Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, to get to the bottom of the so-called “missing features.” More →

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mobile
July 26, 2012
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Hacker uses NFC to pwn Android phones

By on July 26, 2012 at 9:00 PM.

Hacker uses NFC to pwn Android phones

NFC Hack Android Beam

Esteemed hacker Charlie Miller, who made a name for himself embarrassing Apple engineers with his iOS hacks, has returned with a big, juicy target in his sites: the Near Field Communications technology used to send mobile payments over smartphones. Ars Technica reports that Miller showed off his latest smartphone hack at Black Hat USA on Wednesday that involved using NFC to force someone’s Android smartphone to go to a malicious website and download malware. And the scariest part about this is that all hackers have to do to compromise users’ phones is to walk right by them. More →

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Software
July 26, 2012
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Apple wants the iPhone to run your entire house

By on July 26, 2012 at 6:15 PM.

Apple wants the iPhone to run your entire house

Apple NFC Patent iPhone

Although the iPhone has already proven itself to be an extremely useful little device, Apple (AAPL) has some even bigger plans for its popular smartphone in mind: Basically, it wants the iPhone to be the central remote control for every key gadget and appliance in users’ homes. Patently Apple has found a new patent application filed by Apple showing the iPhone’s future NFC capabilities being used for a wide variety of functions, including “being able to control standalone cameras, projectors, in-home security systems, lawn sprinkler systems, your thermostat, garage door and more.” The application also shows a spiffed-up version of the Apple TV that “could one day control cable or satellite television programming and video game play via a video game controller.” More →

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Security
July 13, 2012
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NFC mobile payment growth could be stunted by security flaws

By on July 13, 2012 at 7:45 AM.

NFC mobile payment growth could be stunted by security flaws

Charlie Miller NFC Hacking

Developers who work on mobile payment platforms should start hitting the panic button: Esteemed hacker Charlie Miller is about to mess them up. Dark Reading reports that Miller’s presentation at Black Hat USA this year “will show just how dangerous it can be to pay cabfare with your mobile device, as he demonstrates vulnerabilities he discovered in emerging near-field communications (NFC) technology.” More →

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mobile
June 21, 2012
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Meet paycardreader, the credit card-stealing Android app

By on June 21, 2012 at 12:05 PM.

Meet paycardreader, the credit card-stealing Android app

Android App NFC Credit Card Data Theft

Just in case anyone was starting to feel too comfortable paying for things with contactless credit cards, a German software developer has posted a new app on the Google Play app store that’s capable of swiping credit card information from contactless cards such as PayPass MasterCard, Visa payWave and Barclays PayTag. SC Magazine reports that Thomas Skora, a senior consultant for security firm Integralis, has created an app that can “skim card numbers and [expiration] dates, along with transactions and merchant IDs” using near field communications technology that is typically used by mobile payment platforms such as Google Wallet. In order to swipe someone’s card information, thieves will have to be within a relatively short distance of their victims so they can use their smartphones to scan any contactless pay cards unwitting users might have. More →

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mobile
June 13, 2012
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Samsung unveils TecTiles: programmable NFC tags for Galaxy S III, others

By on June 13, 2012 at 12:01 AM.

Samsung unveils TecTiles: programmable NFC tags for Galaxy S III, others

Samsung TecTiles NFC tags

Samsung on Wednesday announced a new NFC-based product called TecTiles. Available for $14.99 in packs of five from Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, TecTiles are small stickers that include embedded NFC tags. An accompanying app allows users to program each tag to perform a specific function, and a tap with an NFC-enabled Samsung smartphone like the Galaxy S III will automatically trigger the related actions. For example, a quick tap on a TecTile sticker can open a certain app, change various settings on a device, make a call, send an SMS, open a Web page, “like” something on Facebook or post a new tweet on Twitter. TecTiles are compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy S II, Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Galaxy S Blaze 4G, and are available immediately. Samsung’s full press release follows below.

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eBooks
May 3, 2012
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Barnes & Noble plans to bring NFC to the Nook

By on May 3, 2012 at 1:00 AM.

Barnes & Noble plans to bring NFC to the Nook

Barnes & Noble to bring NFC to the Nook

Barnes & Noble’s Nook eReader business is expected to see continued growth and was recently spun off into a new subsidiary that Microsoft invested $300 million in. The company’s CEO William Lynch sat down with Fortune and spoke about the future of the Nook business, and the executive said NFC-equipped Nook eReaders will be released as early as this year. “We’re going to start embedding NFC chips into our Nooks,” the CEO said. “We can work with the publishers so they would ship a copy of each hardcover with an NFC chip embedded with all the editorial reviews they can get on BN.com. And if you had your Nook, you can walk up to any of our pictures, any our aisles, any of our bestseller lists, and just touch the book, and get information on that physical book on your Nook and have some frictionless purchase experience. That’s coming, and we could lead in that area.” More →

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