Fitbit's been trying for more than a year to get NFC payment technology into its products; we picked up a strong rumor a few months ago (which we were unable to adequately confirm) that Fitbit had built production quantities of a fitness tracker with payment tech but was unable to get it to work properly. Today comes news that Fitbit has bought the wearable payment tech … [Read more...]
Jawbone Announces UP4, including Amex NFC Payments
Jawbone, which is just now getting its long-delayed UP3 fitness tracker to market, is already talking about the next version, the UP4. The major differenceis apparently the addition of an NFC chip that will link the device to your American Express card and use it for contactless credit card payments. Jawbone says the UP4 will be available this summer, but no pricing was … [Read more...]
MWC Day 1: ams and ST Team Up on Payment Chip Systems
If you follow the sensor and microelectronics business, you may know that ams and STElectronics are top-flight companies and strong rivals. But they announced at Mobile World Congress that they've teamed up for just this one thing: mobile payments. ST has a secure element that stores and encrypts payment data. ams has a lot of skill in antenna and NFC technology. So they … [Read more...]
Wirecard Wearable Wallet Reportedly Targets Summer Launch
There's a German company called Wirecard that's active in the payment business, similar to PayPal. It has its own payment network, issues cards, and is active in mobile payments. GigaOM is reporting that Wirecard is planning this summer to release its own smart band to act as a credit card replacement. It's a segment that's starting to get crowded. Apple Pay has made the … [Read more...]