Breaking news, information, and analysis on the latest mobile phones and mobile technology
It looks like Kyocera’s unique dual-screen Android handset, the Echo, has been hiding away a near-field communications chip as well as Wi-Fi calling capabilities. Kyocera is officially listing features for the upcoming Gingerbread 2.3.4 update, and beyond NFC and Wi-Fi calling (presumably over the UMA standard), there are a few other additions. An upgrade to…
It looks like we may really have NFC mobile payments pretty soon, as the Isis joint venture has just announced a relationship with American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa. When Isis first started, it represented an ambitious move to reshape how we pay for things by placing a strong emphasis on NFC. The joint venture…
We’ve already covered LG’s two new mid-range Android smartphones – Optimus Pro and Optimus Net. If you recall, we said both will be pretty affordable and most likely sell like hot cupcakes on a cold winter day. Heck we even said the Optimus Net will supersede the popular Optimus One model and in that sense…
Even with existing and upcoming mobile payment solutions, PayPal, is making easier than ever by integrating NFC into its mobile app for Android devices. Whether you like it or not, NFC will eventually be everywhere and smartphones will be its first stop. The video below shows just how simple PayPal has made it to send…
Huawei is *really* getting serious about everything Android. Just recently we’ve seen the Chinese company launching the MediaPad tablet and then that “glorious” smartphone for Cricket Wireless. Now another Huawei-made device has been spotted, this time in Turkey. Called Sonic (aka Huawei T20), it’s a mid-range device with NFC capability and pre-loaded Gingerbread. Turkish Turkcell…
When people first started connecting to the internet they had to rely on dial-up. In other words, you connected your computer to a phone line via a device called a modem. You’re computer would then talk and listen to your internet service provider (ISP) using a language of strange sounds which it would then translate…
It wasn’t Sony Ericsson but NXP Semiconductors which announced scoring the Swedish-Japanese handset maker as a client for its NFC technology. As part of the deal, Sony Ericsson will integrate NXP’s PN65 NFC solution in its future Xperia smartphones, allowing for contactless payments, ticketing and other services. The mentioned solution includes the NFC radio controller,…
Michael Hurlston (pictured above), Senior Vice Oresident of Home and Wireless Networking at Broadcom, told journalists at a press briefing held last week in San Francisco that by this time next year 10% to 15% of all mobile phones on the market will feature support for near field communications, better known as NFC. His prediction,…
This afternoon RIM has released a beta version of their developer toolset for BlackBerry OS 7, the new software running on the Bold 9900. Developer APIs include new access to the magnetic compass, UI overlay, near-field communications, and video capture, as well as the 3D rendering power of OpenGL ES 2.0. APIs for BlackBerry Maps,…
Google and Sprint have been quite chummy as of late and they may be taking that friendship to the next level later this week. The search giant and carrier may be launching an NFC (Near Field Communication) payment system as soon as the 26th, making NFC-enabled devices your potential next credit card. We had an…