Near-fieldCommunication
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Apple is silently telling us to stop asking for near-field communication
We've been hearing rumors about an NFC-enabled iPhone and/or iPad for years now, and the song is always the same: "Sources say the next iDevice will have NFC, and it's about time!" Yet here we sit, with a pair of new iPhones just a day from launch, and no NFC in sight. If there's anything the iPhone 5s and AirDrop should tell us, it's that we should stop expecting an Apple smartphone or tablet with near-field communication, at least for a while. NFC speaks two languages It's important to separate the two primary uses for NFC: Sharing and payments. NFC mobile sharing is useful for everything from virtually handing documents to a coworker, to (apparently) getting naughty videos from your spouse before a business trip. This is an NFC feature that can be used by the widest range of people, and all that is needed is two individuals with compatible devices. NFC payments are quite different -- not in how it works, but in how useful it really is. Finding retailers that accept NFC payments isn't exactly easy. If you don't live in a place like San Francisco or New York City, the ability to use a virtual credit card on your smartphone isn't just a rarity; it's barely even an option. I know this because I live in a midwestern city where people will line up overnight for a new Nexus or Galaxy smartphone, but if you asked a cashier at local store if they accept Google Wallet they'd stare are you like you were from another planet. AirDrop uses Bluetooth and ad-hoc WiFi rather than near-field communication, but it accomplishes the same feat when it comes to mobile sharing. If you have an iPhone 5, 5s, or 5c (or 4th gen iPad, 5th gen iPod, or iPad mini), you can share files with other compatible devices simply by selecting the file and the recipient. It's a no-setup, no-hassle way to send files locally, and you don't need to smash your phones together to make it work. With AirDrop, Apple has duplicated the most useful feature of near-field communication without buckling and including NFC technology in its new devices. Buy why? Apple isn't on board the NFC train, but why? It could be that the technology doesn't seem secure enough to bet on, or that with so few merchants accepting NFC, including it wouldn't actually pay off. In the end, it's almost certainly a mix of many factors, but one angle I don't see mentioned very often is that by adopting near-field communication, Apple might be helping its competitors more than itself. I don't think it's hard to argue that if the new iPhone 5s and 5c included NFC, merchants would have a much greater incentive to invest in the technology. This could benefit Apple, of course, but it would boost long-suffering NFC stalwarts such as Google Wallet (which, ironically, just launched a non-NFC iOS app today) even more. NFC is struggling and growth is slow. By refusing to include it in new devices, Apple is certainly not doing it any favors -- in fact, without an iDevice in its corner, NFC may never break into the mainstream. That's a powerful position for Apple to be in, and one they won't be in a hurry to give up. Will we ever see an NFC-enabled iDevice? It's not entirely out of the question. Apple already has patents on the books that would use near-field communication for sharing, though the systems described work much like AirDrop already does but substitutes Bluetooth for NFC. Regardless, Apple already has everything it needs to wage a long war against near-field communication if it chooses to. With AirDrop handling the local sharing, Passbook acting as a go-between for things such as gift cards and event passes, and a retail scene where NFC is still a non-factor, there's almost no reason to even consider it.
Isis' NFC payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City: 3 carriers, 9 phones, 1 long way to go (video)
To say that the launch of Isis has felt drawn out would be a mild understatement. The alliance first signaled its intentions two years ago, detailed its first markets one year ago and faced a last-minute delay. All the ducks are finally in a row, however, and residents of both Austin as well as Salt Lake City can tap to pay (or score discounts) at the "hundreds" of locations that accept NFC-based purchases through American Express, Capital One, Chase and Isis' own cash card. Launch day brings app- and SIM-enabled access for nine devices spread rather unevenly across AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon: only the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is confirmed working for Verizon subscribers, while the rest are divided more equally between multiple Samsung Galaxies and HTC devices like the Amaze 4G and One X. Over 20 phones should be Isis-aware before the end of the year. It's a potentially strong start to one of the few truly cross-network mobile payment systems in the US, but we see a long road ahead before Isis gives Google Wallet some jitters -- there's legions of banks, cities and stores needed before Isis is widespread, and we're not counting on that ever-elusive universal hardware support.
Former Nokia Money crew kicks off iKaaz mobile payments, lets shops go with or without NFC
It's a big day for mobile payments. Multiple former Nokia Money veterans have formally launched iKaaz, a two-pronged strategy to phone commece where choice is the order of the day. The first components, M-POS and its accompanying Tap & Pay, are rough equivalents to familiar NFC-based services like Google Wallet that rely on an NFC tag and matching app for in-store sales. A Consumer Wallet for Enterprises occupies more familiar territory for the ex-Nokia crew: it provides a mobile account that doesn't require NFC or even an app, letting those in developing countries exchange funds through SMS or USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) if they're sporting basic handsets. Us end users will need to wait for actual implementations before we see iKaaz for ourselves, but the sheer flexibility could have us paying through our phones in some unexpected places.
Isis makes October 22nd mobile payment launch official, vows 20 capable phones by year's end
While we could easily see this coming, it's still good to hear the news more directly: Isis has confirmed that its delayed mobile wallet system will arrive on October 22nd. The company's marketing lead Jaymee Johnson tells us that the NFC-based commerce should start in the previously mentioned Austin and Salt Lake City areas. We haven't been given a formal device list, but "as many as" 20 smartphones should be compatible by the end of the year. We can think of at least four. More details will follow on the day in question, although we already know that the cash-averse will need an Isis app, a special SIM card and compatible SmartTap terminals at stores. That's a lot of conditions that have to be satisfied just to lighten the strain on our pockets -- all the same, we'll take it when the alternatives are moving slowly.
Isis Mobile Wallet app for Android surfaces in Google Play, you probably can't run it
Unofficial rumblings have pointed to Isis Mobile Wallet's trial getting close. If you've remained skeptical all the same, we're pretty sure that seeing Isis' Android app in Google Play will change your mind. The currently T-Mobile-only software confirms that pilot program members will tie their American Express, Capital One or Chase card (as well as a unique card) to Isis for paying through NFC at stores with a SmartTap terminal. We're also promised streamlined loyalty cards and coupons. Before anyone rushes to try the app at the local shop, remember that it's just one piece of the puzzle on top of the special SIM card, one of three NFC-equipped phones and that small matter of living in Austin or Salt Lake City when the service goes live. Having the official app at least lets those who qualify get a head start on what could soon be the only major alternative to Google Wallet in the US.
Acoustic barcodes store data in sound, go on just about anything (video)
Technologies like NFC, RFID and QR codes are quickly becoming a normal part of everyday life, and now a group from Carnegie Mellon University has a fresh take on close-quarters data it calls acoustic barcodes. It involves physically etching a barcode-like pattern onto almost any surface, so it produces sound when something's dragged across it -- a fingernail, for example. A computer is then fed that sound through a microphone, recognizes the waveform and executes a command based on it. By altering the space between the grooves, it's possible to create endless unique identifiers that are associated with different actions. It's easy to see how smartphones could take advantage of this -- not that we recommend dragging your new iPhone over ridged surfaces -- but unlike the technologies mentioned earlier, not all potential applications envisage a personal reading device. Dot barcodes around an area, install the sound processing hardware on site, and you've got yourself an interactive space primed for breaking freshly manicured nails. We're pretty impressed by the simplicity of the concept, and the team does a good job of presenting scenarios for implementing it, which you can see in the video below. And, if you'd like to learn a little more about the idea or delve into the full academic paper, the source links await you. [Thanks, Julia]
Visa lets iPhone-toting NatWest and RBS customers pay with NFC cases, join the future
Two can play at the UK-banks-with-NFC-payments game. RBS (and by extension, NatWest) is partnering with Visa Europe to roll out TouchPay, a mobile payment system based around an iCarte case for the iPhone 4 and 4S -- sorry, early iPhone 5 owners. In tandem with a native app, the service allows paying for goods at British shops by tapping the phone at a Visa-capable NFC terminal without needing the short-range wireless built-in. Any purchases under £20 ($32) can even skip the PIN code, if you're just in that much of a hurry to get a Pret À Manger sandwich. Only 1,000 of the 9,000 who pre-registered for TouchPay are getting into Visa's wallet-free initiative at this stage, although all NatWest and RBS customers with one of Apple's semi-recent smartphones can participate once a trial run is over. We're just wondering if and when Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 8 owners get in on the action.
Isis' NFC mobile payments delayed past September target
Isis must have spoken too soon. Just days after the alliance committed to launching its mobile payment system in September, its marketing lead Jaymee Johnson has warned FierceMobileContent that the rollout won't make the promised summer target. The delay is portrayed as a collection of minor hiccups, although we're not bracing ourselves for a short wait: Isis plans to update us on the situation in October, and that suggests we won't be making NFC-based purchases on Isis any sooner. It's another disappointment for the future-is-now crowd hoping to leave cash behind -- not that Apple and Google will object to a rival's misstep.
iPhone 5: the rumor roundup
We're on the cusp of Apple's sixth iPhone launch, and there's very different expectations than there were last year. The 2011 rumor cycle left more than a few people burned: the later-than-usual October launch and repeated claims of a heavily-remade design led some to a disappointment when the iPhone 4S arrived, even though the final product had a slew of camera, speed and voice command upgrades. This year, the rumors have been grounded well before there was an event date in our hands. There have been fewer instances of wild rumors. Instead, it's been based more around pragmatism, using either tangible leaks or sources that have a solid track record. Think of the perennial leaks from the Wall Street Journal or the increasingly well-established sourcing from iMore and The Loop. Whether you're conspiracy-minded or not, it's been hard to ignore the sheer number of claims that have tamped down expectations rather than inflated them. It's as though there's a collective fear we'll see a repeat of the 2011 hysteria and deal with fans (or detractors) complaining about missing features that were never promised in the first place. Where last summer was full of uncertainty, this year there's a mounting consensus as to what we'll see, how we'll get it, and when. Tracking everything that's been mentioned may be a handful, however. With that in mind, we'll dive in and gauge what's likely to emerge from behind Apple's curtain on September 12th -- as well as what we can rule out from the get-go.
LevelUp unveils payment docks that take both NFC and QR codes, leave out the guesswork
Most stores accepting mobile payments usually have to take just one format, whether it's Google Wallet, Square or another flavor that you probably can't use. LevelUp is convinced you shouldn't have to choose platforms: it just revealed a new payment dock that will recognize both the company's existing QR code system as well as NFC. It's much easier sight on the eyes than typical NFC terminals, to boot. Just don't expect a one-for-one recreation of systems like Google Wallet or Isis. Rather than expose your banking details by holding them in a chip, LevelUp's NFC is just used to move the transaction along -- if it's used to get things started, shoppers can either switch to a QR code or complete the transaction with a second tap. The company is mostly planning to replace its existing payment points across the US with the NFC-aware models. Bluetooth 4.0 is an option for the future, however, which could make LevelUp even more of a Swiss Army Knife for the world of mobile commerce.
Sony VAIO Duo 11 slides its way past the FCC
Sony is clearly bent on getting the VAIO Duo 11 to market on time -- just as we're recovering from our post-IFA jet lag, the Windows 8 slider has popped up for approval at the FCC. The PC put through the wringer is very much like what we saw at the show, with 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and that signature stylus on offer. There's no sign of 3G or 4G for the road warrior crowd. We don't have any clues as to the exact US release timing from the FCC's sign-off, but it does clear a path for an American release side by side with the European model in late October, if Sony yearns for some international synchronicity.
Spotify comes to Denon and Marantz receivers, shares music over NFC
Spotify didn't want to leave all the spotlight time to phone manufacturers today. To start, it's widening its toehold in the living room: three Denon AV receivers and four Marantz counterparts now have support for streaming Spotify Premium music through respective firmware updates, with control coming either through the on-device screen or through Denon's mobile remote app. You're not necessarily left out if you have no compatible home theater to call your own, however. As long as you have a device with at least Android 4.0, an update to the Spotify app will let you apply audio effects or share Premium music between NFC devices through a tap. All of the updates are free -- just know that you'll need Spotify's full $10 per month subscription to grease the wheels. Check the source links for the supported receivers and app updates.
Sony unveils VAIO Duo 11 slide-out tablet, Tap 20 portable touchscreen all-in-one
Sony just threw itself fully into the touchscreen Windows 8 arena -- it's introducing the VAIO Duo 11 slider tablet and the Tap 20 combination desktop and tablet design at its IFA 2012 press conference. The Duo 11 is a noticeably amped-up realization of the Hybrid concept we saw at CES. Its 11.6-inch, 1080p touchscreen is joined by a proper digitizer stylus for low-lag handwriting as well as some seriously powerful innards for a convertible PC its size: we're talking an Ultrabook-level Core i3, i5 or i7 as well as a 128GB or 256GB SSD, NFC wireless, GPS, and HD-capable cameras at the front and back. Sony is hoping for a late October release for this beast of a slate, although we haven't been given that all-important price. The VAIO Tap 20, meanwhile, is more than just a tilting all-in-one desktop in the vein of Lenovo's IdeaCentre A720. Despite carrying a 20-inch, 1,600 x 900 touchscreen, it's still very much battery-powered -- you can lug the 11.4-pound PC into the living room and treat it like a tiny multi-touch table, if that's your inclination. It's sharing the same processor picks as the Duo 11, but it turns to more conventional 750GB or 1TB hard drives and puts the emphasis on shareable apps like Family Paint and the Fingertapps Organizer calendar. Not surprisingly, there's only one, front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera here, although NFC does make the cut. The Tap 20 is due to arrive at about the same time as its smaller Duo 11 sibling, although we're once again without details of how much it will cost. %Gallery-163639% %Gallery-163640%
Motorola Droid RAZR HD guides slip out to the web, pop the hype balloon (video)
Not that we were on pins and needles wondering what Motorola's September 5th event would contain, but what vestige of mystery was left may just have been sapped away. A quartet of Motorola tutorial videos newly uncovered by YouTube user revowii walk users through the unannounced XT926, better known in unofficial circles as the Droid RAZR HD. It's all about the looks in this leak: other than the conspicuous link to Verizon, what's mostly validated here is the expected use of a customized Android 4.0 with on-screen navigation keys, much like the Atrix HD in AT&T's corner of the universe. Earlier murmurings have the Droid RAZR HD carrying the same Snapdragon S4, 720p screen and LTE as well, which could leave the CDMA voice network, NFC and possibly increased storage as the only real differences. We'll know the full truth in about two weeks' time, but those who don't mind a peek into the possible future can hop past the story break to indulge in some video time traveling.
Huawei Ascend D Quad XL hits the FCC with North America-friendly 3G, 12MP camera mention
We'd been hoping that Huawei's flagship Ascend D Quad would roll by the FCC, hinting that the long-in-waiting hardware was soon to become a reality. It's here, and it looks to be the XL version we were promised back in Barcelona, with no mention of the LTE that some US carriers love so well. Like the Ascend D1, though, it's carrying pentaband HSPA+ that would let its 3G fly at full speed on any North American GSM carrier. There's a slight surprise in the camera. Schematics mention a 12-megapixel sensor as a possibility alongside the officially announced 8-megapixel shooter -- that said, whether it's a quiet upgrade, a regional variant or just a discarded dream isn't made obvious here. More certain references can confirm video out through HDMI and MHL as well as the increasingly de rigueur NFC. We don't need the FCC to confirm launches that start late this month in China and October in Europe, but the approval guarantees that there won't be rude surprises for the release or for any imports, whether they're unofficial or through a carrier deal.
Marvell PXA988, PXA986 chips support 3G for China, the world without reinventing the wheel (or phone)
Whenever we see a smartphone optimized for China Mobile's TD-SCDMA 3G, it usually represents one of two things: it's either a China-specific variant of a phone we already know, or it's a local-only model that's unlikely to ever travel abroad. Marvell has just unveiled a new mobile processor platform that could allow for a lot more globetrotting with those basic designs. The PXA988 is limited to China Mobile's technology for data, but its PXA986 doppelganger can fit the same slot to offer regular HSPA+ 3G without forcing phone makers back to the drawing board. Both run on a dual-core, 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 at their heart -- nothing exciting in mid-2012, although they're well-enough equipped to capture 1080p video and tout extras like NFC. Only test samples exist today, but there's a chance we'll soon see phone designs that are just as much at home in Berlin as they are in Beijing.
Mystery Samsung GT-P8110 tablet passes through the FCC (update: likely not the P10)
We know our fair share about the redesigned Galaxy Note 10.1, but wait -- what's this? Another Samsung tablet, the GT-P8110, has made a trip through the FCC to complicate what was looking to be a simple near-future strategy for the Korean tech giant. The likely Galaxy Tab variant isn't a familiar design by any stretch, with curved sides and the absence of a back antenna window pointing to a change in aesthetics. The wireless features of the 16GB model at the agency are the conservative elements -- there's just 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC. Our only current hint at what the unknown slate might be is a mention of the 11.8-inch P10 in court evidence, but we don't know if that's what the P8110 represents or if the P10 is even on track for 2012, as Samsung's roadmap hinted in the past. We're not counting on Mobile Unpacked to shed any more light on the subject than the FCC does today. Update: We're less inclined to think it's the P10, since the dimensions as we understand them wouldn't realistically support that 11.8-inch screen.
Throwaway NFC keyboard improves productivity, reduces bank balance
NFC is used primarily for enjoyable activities, like buying things, sharing content and making QR codes feel old. But Japanese company Elecom is looking to change all that with a compact keyboard that exploits NFC for productivity. The silicon menace requires a companion app and is compatible with Android phones running Gingerbread (2.3.4) and up. If the bundled case had you sold on the peripheral, you may want to reconsider. The retail price is a sizeable 18,690 yen (approximately $240), and what's worse, the battery is neither rechargeable nor replaceable, so you'll have to bin it after the stated six months to a year 18 months (eight hours a day) of life. Still interested? Then head over the break for a video demo from Norwegian co-development company one2TOUCH.%Gallery-161929%
Apple lands patent for NFC-ready shopping app, could make impulse spending an iPhone tap away
Apple has been filing more than its fair share of NFC-related patents, but it was just granted what could be one of its more important wins at the USPTO. The design for an "on-the-go shopping list" app would help buyers find and pull the trigger on deals through every tool an iPhone has at its disposal, whether it's taking a snapshot of goods with the camera, punching in the UPC code by hand or tapping an item for an NFC-based "touch scan." We'll admit that we're a bit disappointed at how NFC is used, however. As with an earlier filing, the very short range wireless is kept largely to price comparisons and adding products to a list for a purchase from a store clerk later on, rather than closing the deal outright as we've seen with Google Wallet. The original 2008 filing date will also have seen a lot of water flowing under the bridge; there's no guarantee that any enthusiasm for NFC from the iPhone 3G era will have transferred to the present day. Accordingly, we would be careful about drawing any connections between iOS 6's Passbook and Apple's ideas from four years ago -- even if Apple has regularly been a never-say-never sort of company.
ASUS Tablet 810 with Windows 8 transforms its way past the FCC
ASUS must want its Windows 8 tablet family to move together as one. The Tablet 810 has swung past the FCC just two days after a visit by its younger brother, the Tablet 600. While not what we'd call a stunning revelation, the filing for the 810 (as the TF810C) shows a WiFi-only device with the expected NFC for quick peripheral syncing. The 11.6-inch transforming slate is still devoid of a few key details in spite of having its wireless life laid bare -- namely, if and when it reaches the US. Clearing the approval hurdle, however, leaves few obstacles to ASUS being one of the first out of the gate with an Intel-based Windows 8 tablet after October 26th rolls around.
