LG Electronics is expected to launch a new mass-market NFC-enabled handset next month at the Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, according to Korea’s ETnews. LG’s “Pecan” should hit the market at under $200, and will run on Android 2.2, rather than the NFC-ready Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. LG comments to ETnews: “Though the Pecan […]

ID Card Group has announced it is expanding its inventory of proximity cards and keyfobs for contactless security. The Calif.-based ID products provider says it is now offering new proximity card types, including the clamshell, keyfob, PVC adhesive patch and other ISO-compliant options from HID Global, Indala, Casi-Rusco, Keri System and Schlage. Proximity cards, also […]

Australasia payment services provider ABnote has been successfully certified by Visa and MasterCard to produce Multos and Java EMV dual-interface smart banking cards in its Christchurch, New Zealand facility. According to the company, the site is the first in Australasia to be certified by both payment schemes to manufacture and personalize dual-interface smart banking cards […]

MasterCard announced a new, multi-million pound partnership with Transport for London (TfL) for the exclusive branding of TfL’s Oyster card wallet for 2011. The Oyster card wallet is distributed with all newly issued cards and is available from tube and rail stations and Travel Information Centers. The initiative is part of MasterCard’s greater strategy to […]

McDonald’s has confirmed the rollout of contactless payment technology in all 1,200 of its UK restaurants. According to The Mirror, the fast-food giant is introducing special contactless readers that will allow customers to pay for orders of £15 or less with contactless credit or debit cards. The £1.5million initiative is set for launch this summer. […]

SOFTBANK MOBILE has chosen Gemalto to provide NFC technology for the latest mobile contactless payment trial in Japan. The trial will enable some of SOFTBANK’s customers to use their mobile phone for contactless payments in convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and theaters. The program also offers users the option of performing NFC transactions from two credit […]

The first NFC apps for Android phones are beginning to appear following Google’s launch of the NFC-friendly Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS and the new NFC-enabled Nexus S handset, according to nexus404.com. First, there’s EnableTable, a customer loyalty app that lets restaurants offer discounts to customers. The U.S. developed app uses NFC to keep track of […]

TransLink has a signed a contract with IBM Canada and Cubic Transportation Systems to bring smart card-based fare payment technology to Vancouver’s transit system, according to The Cloverdale Reporter. Slated for a 2013 launch, the new system will allow passengers on Metro Vancouver public transportation, including the rapid transit SkyTrain, to pay for trips with […]

HID Global announced that its RFID reader module has been chosen by German airline security provider DESKO for its Personal Identification Mini Dock (PIMD) identity-checking system. Jointly developed with Panasonic, the “3-in-1” system is designed for border-control, policing and other security applications, and includes a DESKO-designed optical character recognition (OCR) unit and a fingerprint scanner, […]

RNCOS has launched a new research report, “Smart Card Market Forecast to 2012,” predicting that the global smart card industry will post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 12% during 2011-2013. According to the report, the major driver for the global smart card industry remains its application in the financial services, where smart […]