The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Australia’s Attorney General and Ministry of Defense are exploring ways to grant reciprocation for fast-tracking each other’s citizens through customs checks in both countries, reports Australian Business Traveller. The U.S. government hopes to find a way to allow Australians with e-passports use the fast-track Global Entry lane at […]

Singapore, Canada, the United States, Kenya and South Korea have topped MasterCard’s newly released Mobile Payments Readiness Index (MPRI), an analysis of 34 countries and their readiness to use three types of mobile payments: person to person, mobile Web commerce and NFC-enabled mobile contactless payments at the point of sale. According to MasterCard, each market […]

The South African Ministry of Home Affairs announced the expansion of its smart ID card pilot program, reports IT Web. According to Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni, the smart ID card program is part of an effort by the national government to shed its racist past and create one identification card for all citizens. It […]

In Transport Ticketing Authority (TTA) in Melbourne, Australia is making a questionable decision by deciding to do away with its paper tickets on buses and V/Line inter-urban services, according to theage.com.au. The myki card is set to replace the preexisting paper Metcard tickets in metropolitan Melbourne by the end of the year – meaning anyone […]

Gemalto announced the launch of ProtivaMedSecure, a solution package that addresses one of challenges facing health care providers: a secure digital identity. Gemalto’s Protiva MedSecure provides a portfolio of authentication software, digital credentials, secure devices, servers and associated services. The Gemalto solution provides a single credential for secure visual identity, as well as physical and […]

Disney World is trialing a new FastPass system that will utilize RFID technology to speed up ticketing lines at Disney’s popular rides and theme park attractions, according to ITWeb. As part of the new trial, guests will be able book their rides and attractions for specific times in the future, even before entering the park. […]

16 million NFC SIM cards were shipped in 2011, according to the latest annual report from the SIMalliance, a SIM card trade association. This marks the first time that NFC-enabled SIMs have been shipped in large enough quantities to be included separately in the SIMalliance annual data, according to the organization. The report also found […]

When buying a six-pack of beer it makes sense that an individual confirms that they are at least 21-years-old. But when the consumer shows a clerk the government-issued ID they are giving up address, date of birth and other information as well. In a perfect world the clerk would only see the age. Andrew Clement, […]

The Ministry of Public Security in China announced the country will start to issue a new type of passport bearing an electronic chip containing the holder’s personal information, according to the China Daily. China will make the new digital passports available from May 15, and will look similar to traditional ones with the addition of […]

In an effort to promote efficiencies and reduce paperwork costs, three leading identity trust hubs and a certification authority have signed an agreement to promote the use of digital identities and public key infrastructure (PKI) for employees in both the private and public sectors. The three trust hubs serve various facets of government and industry. […]