While Canadians got a major NFC payment system through Rogers’ Suretap service late last year, it was largely defined by what it couldn’t do: there was only one platform to use, in only some places, with only one bank. Those horizons are at last broadening, as the carrier just certified a much wider range of phones for Suretap-capable apps. Android at last joins the party with approval for Suretap use on LG’s Optimus G, as well as Samsung’s Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. BlackBerry fans also won’t have to cling to older devices now that the Z10 is good to go. More than a few pieces of the NFC puzzle are still missing, of course. Beyond waiting for the apps themselves, there’s no certification for Windows Phone 8 or a broad range of Android devices, and customers still don’t have the freedom to choose their banks or carriers. Still, we’re glad that there will be at least some choice in hardware for future wallet-free trips to Tim Hortons.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, LG, Blackberry
Source: Rogers
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Game devs looking to enhance “engagement” (read: monetization) for their mobile titles now have an ally in Amazon. The Bezos-backed company has just made plug-ins available free to Kindle Fire developers using the popular Unity game engine. Now those devs will have access to APIs for In-Game purchasing and GameCircle which, in the latter case, allows for the addition of Achievements, as well as the ability to Whispersync across devices. So, what does this mean for you, the end user? Well, aside from the ability to continue playing from where you last left off on any of the company’s tabs, it also brings mobile gaming that much closer to the console experience. But mostly that you can look forward to a future bill filled with micropayments.
Continue reading Amazon offers Unity plug-ins to Kindle Fire devs, makes in-app payments possible
Filed under: Gaming, Tablets, Amazon
Via: The Next Web
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Validity Sensors, the San Jose-based maker of fingerprint scanning sensors and authentication technology, announced today that it has closed $ 10 million of a $ 20 million series E financing round. (It will close the second half in the next month.) The investment was led by TeleSoft Partners, with participation from Validity’s previous investors, including Crossslink Capital, Panorama Capital, Qualcomm Ventures and Venture Tech Associates. The round brings Validity’s total funding to $ 78.6 million.
While there are tons of security apps and password lockers that help keep mobile devices, computers and sensitive digital info secure, the prevailing form of authentication still comes in the form of good ole passwords and PINs. Of course, most people use the same password for multiple different accounts, or have a tendency to forget the complex ones login pages ask them to create.
As we’ve all learned, these forms of authentication are difficult to remember, ineffective and fairly easy to hack. With the exploding growth of mobile payment transactions and cloud-based services, new (or better) forms of security are needed to protect our data both in the cloud and on the go, especially considering the expected growth of mobile payments — and how frequently we’ll be using our phones to pay bills, receive coupons and coupons and location based offers etc in the next few years. That’s where Validity Sensors wants to enter the picture.
Validity and companies like it believe that, even with advances in multi-factor authentication technology (facial, voice, etc.), fingerprints are still the best and simplest way to verify identity. The company has developed fingerprint sensor tech that enables authentication, device login, access to digital and mobile wallets, password management, app launching and so on — for smartphones, tablets and notebooks.
In the future, this tech will move to allowing content control for home media usage and home automation and monitoring, and really access control to a wide range of things (namely robot butlers). Collectively, all these apps need a simple way to securely authenticate the user’s identity — that isn’t going away any time soon.
The company’s mobile fingerprint solution provides handset designers with a solution that can identify users, protect mobile payments and launch (and log user into) email, social networks, shopping and banking — just by swiping their finger. Partners can then integrate Validity’s technology in under-glass solutions or add it to home and power buttons on mobile devices and notebooks. Currently, Validity’s solutions support Android and Windows operating systems.
Since launching its products in 2008, Validity has shipped more than 30 million sensors to OEMs, focusing initially on PCs. More recently, it has turned its attention to the smartphone and tablet markets, and its new $ 20 million round will be used to support that push.
Another few potential up-sides for Validity? In May, the company nabbed the former head of PayPal’s mobile ecosystem, Sebastian Taveau, making him CTO.
Secondly, in July, Apple bought its largest competitor, AuthenTec, for $ 356 million. Among other things, AuthenTec is known for making fingerprint sensor chips that are embedded in computing devices to enhance security and identification — sounds familiar, right? Apple’s acquisition came about a month after the company had signed a deal with Samsung to become its security and device management partner for its Android devices.
By pushing more aggressively into the mobile space and bringing on capital from strategic, mobile and software investors, Validity hoping for comparable outcome.
There’s little doubt that mobile payments hold a ton of potential for the future of commerce, but without proper direction (and willingness for adoption), the technology remains little more than an impractical curiosity for the majority of consumers. In an effort to define a way forward for the mobile payment industry, a large number of heavy hitters have banded together under the umbrella of the Electronic Transactions Association to form the Mobile Payments Committee. Not only does the group include all four of the top US carriers, but also Google, Isis, VeriFone and PayPal. Add to that financial institutions such as Wells Fargo and Capital One, along with American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa, and you’ll quickly realize that this group is playing to win.
Primary goals of the Mobile Payments Committee include fostering relationships with merchants, ensuring consumer access to modern payment methods, exploring best practices and ensuring interoperability of networks, equipment and financial institutions. The group will also engage in lobbying activities with legislators and regulators, and will additionally work to educate both merchants and consumers about the potential of mobile payments. With so many key players (and competitors) sitting around one big table, what wouldn’t you give to be a fly on the wall during those meetings? For a little extra insight, just hop the break for the full PR.
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc. Gadgets, Wireless
Google, PayPal, VeriFone and US carriers band together to form Mobile Payments Committee originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 22:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PayPal’s mobile payments have been on a whirlwind American tour this year, but they haven’t had a chance to cross the border so far. Someone must have finally stamped the company’s passport, since it’s now an option for UK residents to pay using the InStore app for Android or iOS. A trio of fashion outlets — Coast, Oasis and Warehouse — can soon scan an on-screen barcode to take payment for that posh new shirt instead of requiring ye olde wallet. As it is in the US, there’s no need for any NFC magic or even an Internet connection to clinch the deal, and there’s still the same access to discounts and refunds as for paper- and plastic-wielding buyers. A total of 230 shops will take your PayPal credit starting May 31st, although they won’t stop your potential fashion mistakes.
Continue reading PayPal mobile payments hit the UK, filling your closet just went wireless (video)
PayPal mobile payments hit the UK, filling your closet just went wireless (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Despite growing competition from PayPal, Intuit and Verifone, it appears that Square’s business is still going gangbusters. The grandaddy of all smartphone payment systems is set to take $ 5 billion in payments this year, up from $ 2 billion a scant six months ago. According to company COO Keith Rabois, such expansive growth has been fostered by the fact that Square makes the cash from transactions available to merchants the next business day — a feature greatly appreciated by small businesses. Clearly, Huey Lewis was right, and you can see what we mean after the break.
Continue reading Square’s feeling good, on pace to take $ 5 billion in payments per year
Square’s feeling good, on pace to take $ 5 billion in payments per year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Despite growing competition from PayPal, Intuit and Verifone, it appears that Square’s business is still going gangbusters. The grandaddy of all smartphone payment systems is set to take $ 5 billion in payments this year, up from $ 2 billion a scant six months ago. According to company COO Keith Rabois, such expansive growth has been fostered by the fact that Square makes the cash from transactions available to merchants the next business day — a feature greatly appreciated by small businesses. Clearly, Huey Lewis was right, and you can see what we mean after the break.
Continue reading Square’s feeling good, on pace to take $ 5 billion in payments per year
Square’s feeling good, on pace to take $ 5 billion in payments per year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink TechCrunch | Bloomberg | Email this | Comments
Despite growing competition from PayPal, Intuit and Verifone, it appears that Square’s business is still going gangbusters. The grandaddy of all smartphone payment systems is set to take $ 5 billion in payments this year, up from $ 2 billion a scant six months ago. According to company COO Keith Rabois, such expansive growth has been fostered by the fact that Square makes the cash from transactions available to merchants the next business day — a feature greatly appreciated by small businesses. Clearly, Huey Lewis was right, and you can see what we mean after the break.
Continue reading Square’s feeling good, on pace to take $ 5 billion in payments per year
Square’s feeling good, on pace to take $ 5 billion in payments per year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tools like Square’s credit card reader and Apple’s proprietary iOS retail system make mobile payments possible in the US, but they’re hardly streamlined, or widespread. A new Gingerbread tablet from Sharp — the RW-T107 — sets out to simplify payments in Japan with its built-in NFC reader. You won’t be using your own tablet to pay — instead, retailers will utilize point of sale apps to process transactions, without a customer ever needing to swipe their credit card. RFID payment cards, like Sony’s FeliCa, have been used throughout Japan for the last decade, so consumers are already familiar with the technology and ready to make payments. There’s no word on what retailers will expect to pay to add Sharp’s tablet to their checkout mix, but with the company set to release only 5,000 devices per month (and no plans to introduce them to the US), we’re not planning to ditch our cash just yet.
Sharp RW-T107 Android tablet packs NFC reader, will accept payments in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Softbank customers in Japan can simply get an NFC sticker to add some contact-less payments to their iPhone 4, but most folks don’t have it quite so easy just yet. There are some alternatives while you wait for Apple to hop on the NFC bandwagon, however, like this solution from Unplggd‘s Vivian Kim. It uses one of the smaller NFC-equipped credit cards now available from some banks, which is apparently just small enough to fit under the back cover of an iPhone 4 (a clear one, in this case, to show off your cleverness). And, yes, it apparently still works just fine under there — even if you add a case on top of it.
iPhone 4 gets upgraded for NFC payments the hard way originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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