China’s Daily RFID has released a new low-cost plug-and-play contactless smart card reader designed for use in industrial and outdoor environments. The reader will hit the market this month at a planned $48 per unit. In addition to its low price point, Daily RFID expects users to find the device’s low consumption of power appealing. […]

Semiconductor company NXP has unveiled its new NFC controller that will enable mobile phone users to access more contactless applications such as mobile payments, transport and event ticketing as well as data sharing directly from the mobile phone SIM. “In 2008, the GSMA Pay-Buy-Mobile initiative called for full NFC functionality including the standardized single-wire protocol […]

Oberthur Technologies has deployed its FlyBuy contactless stickers to three banks internationally, including one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The sticker is the latest product in Oberthur Technologies’ development of contactless payment and form factors. Approved and developed in cooperation with MasterCard, Oberthur Technologies’ FlyBuy Sticker is a contactless payment device […]

SCM Microsystems Inc. announced that it has closed its merger with Hirsch Electronics Corp. The shareholders of both companies approved the transaction, which included the payment of cash and the issuance of SCM common stock and warrants to purchase shares of SCM common stock in exchange for the securities of Hirsch. The merger closed on […]

CARTES & IDentification will be held from November 17 to 19 in Paris-Nord Villepinte. This year the show’s focus will be on authentication technology and the country in the spotlight will be Russia. The use of plastic cards in Russia has become widespread over recent years and the deployment of equipment at point of sale […]

Espanola General Hospital in Ontario, Canada has selected SALTO to upgrade its security and replace its master keyed mechanical locks with the XS4 electronic proximity access control system. The XS4 locks are replacing existing locks in offices, health records, the finance department, stores, maintenance areas, laboratories, physiotherapy, diagnostic imaging, clinic operations, acute care, the teleconference […]

The Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council sees contactless fare collection systems moving forward in four cities while at the same time interest is growing for mobile NFC fare payments. This latest update is based on information gleaned from the organization’s 2009 Payments Councils Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah, in February where new officers were […]

Three of Switzerland’s leading telecommunications companies, Orange, Sunrise and Swisscom, have formed a work group to compile standards that would make NFC technology easier to adopt by service providers, leading to production of more NFC-compliant phones that can be used for payments and ticketing. By the end of 2010 the group hopes to be able […]

NFC applications involving social networking sites were two of the finishers in the NFC Forum Global Competition for 2009. The winners were announced at the annual Global NFC Business & Technical Developers Summit at WIMA in Monaco and were selected from 20 finalists culled from 52 entries from 21 countries and four continents. The first-place […]

Gentag Inc., a developer of cell phone-based sensor technology, has teamed with specialty medical device provider Sicel Technologies Inc. to develop a passive, disposable RFID sensor which can detect radiation threats in shipping containers. The new detection device combines Sicel’s medical radiation sensor technology with Gentag wireless sensor platform, which uses modified cell phone technology. […]