Could New Biometrics Finally Kill Smart Cards and Passwords?

Gaining access to a network or secure building has always been based on some combination of three things: something you know (usually a password), something you have (a smart card) and something you are (like a fingerprint). The next stage of authentication — toward a more secure, less aggravating process — lies in what you do and how you do it. That’s what biometric companies, the Defense Department and other government agencies are aiming for, with a broad mix of biometrics and machine learning features. The idea of using motion sensors in authentication systems as a more effective, tamper-proof method than established techniques has been in the works for a while. And although plans to introduce wider use of them haven’t come along as quickly as first envisioned — DOD said two years ago, it planned to replace Common Access Cards with a biometric system by now — the addition of artificial intelligence and machine learning features is making behavioral biometrics even more viable.

RFID cards for fishermen before season begins

Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar on Tuesday said that all fishermen will get Radio Frequency Identity (RFID) cards before the beginning of the new season in August. “This year we have initiated the process of issuing RFID cards to fishermen on trawlers, well in advance. When the fishing ban commences on June 1, we will start the process of collecting data about the crew and they will be issued the cards,” Palyekar said.

iOS 12 to Allow iPhones to Unlock Doors Via NFC

Apple is expected to expand the NFC capabilities of its iPhones beyond mobile payments, allowing users to securely unlock doors equipped with the technology, according to The Information. The company is said to be planning to announce the new functionality "next month," suggesting it will come at WWDC as part of the iOS 12 unveiling. The Information reported nearly four years ago that Apple was looking to expand NFC capabilities to building security and transit ticketing, working with its campus security vendor HID Global on the technology.

Millions of IoT Devices Vulnerable to Z-Wave Downgrade Attacks

The popular home automation protocol Z-Wave, used by millions of IoT devices, is vulnerable to a downgrade attack that could allow an adversary to take control of targeted devices, according to researchers. Z-Wave is a wireless protocol used by 2,400 vendors; its wireless chipsets are embedded in an estimated 100 million smart devices ranging from door locks, lighting, heating systems and home alarms, according to Pen Test Partners, who released a report on the vulnerability on Wednesday.

EMVCo moves promote global interoperability with QR codes

EMVCo, the global technical body that manages the EMV specifications, has created a QR Payment Mark to promote global interoperability across EMV QR-code payments, according to a press release. EMVCo has developed reproduction requirements and a free licensing structure to enable all implementers of EMV QR Code solutions to use the mark. The QR Payment Mark may be used to inform consumers that a merchant accepts EMV QR-code payment products, according to the release. Supplemental messaging to consumers will confirm whether merchant-presented transactions, consumer-presented transactions, or both, are supported.

Japanese megabanks agree to unify standards for QR codes

As part of efforts to encourage the use of cashless payments for goods and services, the three megabanks have agreed to unify their standards for QR codes, which customers can use to make payments without cash through their smartphones. Their aim is to reduce the costs associated with handling cash, and increase convenience. The unified QR code standards are provisionally named “BankPay.” Apps and bank accounts will be linked through the system, enabling consumers to make purchases simply by scanning a QR code. The banks aim to have it up and running in fiscal 2019.

Smart card, dumb city: is Hong Kong laissez-faire, or just lazy?

What can you say about innovation and creativity in a city whose last really good idea was the Octopus card, introduced in 1997? Twenty years later, the iconic smart card may still be going strong, but city officials have yet to figure out how to deal with Uber, Airbnb and other aspects of the sharing economy. Their build-it-and-they-will-come approach to technological advancement has been a boon for already-rich property developers (note Cyberport and Science Park) but has done little to turn Hong Kong into the cutting-edge technology hub that was advertised.

Congonhas Airport Modernizes Security and Operations

Congonhas Airport, located in São Paulo, Brazil, has adopted a real-time location system (RTLS) that guarantees the best use of resources, while reducing costs and risks. Access control, vehicle tracking and speed monitoring are performed through real-time data generation. Internal operations can be monitored and ramp-up data can be displayed on a screen that provides key performance indicators (KPIs) at any given time. The solution stems from collaboration between Zebra Technologies, GTP-EazyComm and terminal operator Infraero. The system, which includes radio frequency identification, sensors and GPS technology, monitors vehicles and individuals entering and exiting the airport's ramp.

There Is Light At The End Of The IoT Tunnel

Although we are talking about the consumer realm, where IoT is more of an overhyped novelty, similar concerns remain in the much larger business (B2B) market. While IoT holds promise to completely transform businesses, disrupt markets and create new value propositions, its perceived dark sides are impeding progress. Just one year ago, Cisco research showed that 60% of IoT initiatives stalled at the proof-of-concept (PoC) stage, and only 26% of businesses considered their IoT projects a total success. Times are changing, however. Over 69% of global organizations are adopting or planning to adopt IoT solutions this year, and the global IoT market is expected to reach as high as $8.9 trillion by 2020. Clearly, IoT continues forward despite the concerns.

India will soon be a leader in IoT

The number of IoT devices in India is expected to increase significantly from roughly 200 million units in 2016 to 2.7 billion units by 2020, according to a NASSCOM report. The adoption of these devices will make India a leader in the space — the IoT market in the country is poised to reach $15 billion by 2020, accounting for 5% of the global industry, per the report. This type of growth is attracting a number of major tech companies, including Ericsson, Amazon, and Samsung, which have all made moves in India over the last week.

Metro smart card surge

The number of Metro smart card users in the city of Calcutta has gone up by more than 600,000 over the past year. Metro officials are upbeat about the surge because they have been encouraging commuters to switch from tokens to smart cards for a long time. Last month, the number of smart cards issued stood at 86,78,981. In April 2017, the number was 80,68,105.

Brazilian Sugar and Ethanol Company Uses RFID in Agribusiness

The sugar and alcohol industries have made Brazil an example of a clean energy producer since the 1970s, and also a major developer of advanced technologies. Now, radio frequency identification and the Internet of Things (IoT) concept are contributing to sugarcane fields, to further increase the competitiveness of these segments. During the current sugarcane harvest, the Usina São Martinho plant—a unit of São Martinho S/A, one of the largest sugarcane industry groups in Brazil—will begin to implement an advanced technological infrastructure, which includes IoT applications.

Why Nokia Is Partnering with a Crypto Startup to Build an IoT Network

Nokia, a Finland-based multinational communications and information technology provider, has announced a project to give people in remote rural areas a chance to have mobile connectivity and enjoy the benefits of the digital economy, according to a a post on the company’s blog. New tools that reduce the cost of network deployment and maintenance will bring access to these areas, and Nokia community hosted networks will collect Internet of Things (IoT) data and allow customers to monetize it, either individually or through IoT Data Community Projects.

Photo: Villeke

A French Street Artist Made $1,000 After Adding a Bitcoin QR Code to His Murals

Even if you don’t quite understand cryptocurrencies, you’ve probably heard that Bitcoin and its many siblings are the way of the future. Now, one artist has come up with a new way to benefit directly from this still-nascent technology by inviting passersby to donate to him using a Bitcoin QR code, which he affixed to his murals. The brainchild behind the idea is French street artist Pascal “PBOY” Boyart, and the artist’s embrace of the digital currency is already paying dividends. As of this writing, Boyar has made 0.11 Bitcoin (about $1,000) from 23 donors thanks to his clever embrace of cryptocurrency. The feat has even caught the attention of Reddit.

Push Becomes Pull With QR Code Alternative

The QR code has had its place in retail, advertising and payments, but one Israeli tech company feels it’s time to take this low-tech solution high-tech. Amir Darbi, founder and CEO of BrightCodes, concedes that it would be a long and difficult road for any new tech to replace the QR code entirely. In fact, ousting it may not even make sense in certain settings, like the developing economies in which the QR code has succeeded because of its low-tech nature. Going mainstream as a payment method would require an established technical standard and wide consensus among players in the field, Darbi said. Those things take time, and while it may not be impossible in the long run, replacing the QR code for payments is not a practical go-to-market strategy for a new tech.

Startup Offers Low-Cost RFID System That Can Be Self-Installed

RFID solutions startup RFRain has a goal of making UHF RFID technology ubiquitous, with tags applied to most products bought and sold around the world, and with reading and data-management systems easy enough to deploy that most retailers and suppliers can do it themselves, no matter their size. To accomplish this goal, says Danny Akaoui, the company's founder and CEO, RFRain is offering a turnkey, cloud-based solution that will be uniquely easy to install. Akaoui's pursuit of a low-cost, accessible solution started when he visited Lebanon and began looking into RFID technology. He had previously worked at Harris Corp., where he invented—and won an Emmy Award for—broadcast router technology. "The experience allowed me to become a very well-rounded engineer," he says, "who is proficient in both hardware and software designs."

10 million smart cards issued to citizens in past five years

A total of 10 million smart ID cards have been issued to South African citizens in the past five years, South African Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gibaba said. "When the first card was issued, in 2013, around 38 million people had green-barcoded IDs. I am pleased to announce, we now have issued 10 million smart cards. This, in spite of challenges in infrastructure, systems and staffing," Gigaba said in a media briefing ahead of tabling his budget vote in Parliament.

Using RFID Technology to Prevent Unauthorized Copying of 3D-Printed Objects

Although 3D printing technology enjoys widespread use, several new problems arise with the creation of objects using the technology. For instance, it has been realized that a 3D-printed object can easily be copied or reproduced by sharing the digital file that was first used to create it. Alternatively, a 3D object can be scanned to create a new digital file that can be used to reproduce the object. This reproduction of objects significantly reduces their uniqueness and desirability. Because of this issue, inventors thought that it would be necessary to have a unique identifier or ID element embedded in a 3D object so that the object cannot be easily copied by scanning, and the ID would then remain a part of the unique digital model. Several methods can be incorporated to provide an ID element in a 3D-printed object. For instance, the ID element may take the form of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag embedded in the digital model.

U.S. Is Currently Leading the RFID Business and Market Share

Chipless RFIDs, the systems that use radiofrequency energy to communicate data but do not store serial numbers in the transponder like RFID systems with silicon microchips do, are considered the next big opportunity for the global RFID market as the a highly digitized world demands means of tagging all things possible. Chipless RFIDs suit well to this requirement as they are very cheap and convenient as compared to conventional RFID tags. While not many leading RFID companies are focusing on development in the field of chipless RFID, many companies in the fields of packaging, printing, and electronics are actively leading development of the technology through R&D efforts.

The market for chipless RFIDs is increasingly witnessing the introduction of innovative chipless RFID systems. Certain chipless RFID tags in the market use materials some form of conductive polymers instead of the conventional silicon microchips. Some varieties use materials capable of reflecting back a portion of the radio waves radiated at them. A computer gathers the waves reflected back as a snapshot and uses it like biometric data to identify the tagged object. Some companies operating in the field of chipless RFID are also experimenting with implanting radio frequency reflecting fibers in documents to prevent their unauthorized photocopying.

MVR smart card introduced for vehicle registration

Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla introduced security featured MVR smart card for vehicle registration which aimed to eliminate forgery in transfer and registration of vehicles. Talking to media after introducing the smart card here at Civic Centre, Chawla said that Sindh government had achieved a milestone by inducting such thing as it will not only eradicate the menace of fake registration which was real threat to law and order but also facilitate the citizens. He said that the vehicles could be verified anywhere across the province through special devices with the help of this smart card. It will be very easy for the department to maintain data of the vehicles and their owners with the help of these smart cards which will also replace licence book.

Zebra Printers Enable Intelligent Badge Printing With HF, LF Tags

Schools, exhibit planners, office complexes and other organizations are employing a new generation of intelligent card printers from Zebra Technologies that are designed to print and encode cards with high-frequency (HF) or low-frequency (LF) radio frequency identification. The new printers, known as the ZC300 and the ZC350, can operate with the company's next-generation software (a companion product), known as CardStudio 2.0. The new offering, released last month in parts of the world, is intended to make badge printing easier, while requiring a relatively small footprint. During the coming three to six months, Zebra expects to release an ultrahigh-frequency (UHF)-enabled version of the card printers as an additional option.

Arduino Catches IoT Wave

Fifteen years after it was first conceived, Arduino is still thought of by many engineers as a hobbyist’s toy even as it is incorporated into more large-scale commercial projects, thanks largely to the rise of the Internet of Things. “I think there is a big misconception still in the market around what Arduino is,” said Sander Arts, chief marketing officer at Arduino. “There are a lot of people that think that this thing blinks an LED and you can build an Arduino-powered fish feeder. In the meantime, there are a lot of people that are changing the world by building anything and everything, especially in the area of IoT.”

Linux-Friendly Arduino Simplifies IoT Development

Arduino’s support for Linux IoT devices and single-board computers (SBCs) announced at the Embedded Linux Conference+Open IoT Summit NA in March cemented Arduino’s focus on cloud-connected IoT development, extending its reach into edge computing. This move was likely driven by multiple factors — increased complexity of IoT solutions and, secondarily, by more interest in Arduino boards running Linux. In a “blending” of development communities for the masses — Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and BeagleBone — Arduino’s support for Linux-based boards lowers the barrier of development for IoT devices by combining Arduino’s sensor and actuator nodes with higher processor-powered boards like Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone. Top this with a user-friendly web wizard to connect the Linux boards via the cloud and it simplifies the entire process.

Paysend launches Global Account with smart card and cryptocurrency functionality

Payments disrupter Paysend opened pre-registration for its new platform this week, with a headline feature of a new smart card allowing customers to select and spend from any currency. Customers can manage their fiat and crypto currencies as part of the new Global Account, from the convenience of one e-wallet, and will avoid international transaction charges. Presenting the solution at Finovate in Silicon Valley Ronald Millar, CEO of Paysend, said: “Digital currencies and the blockchain technology will become an established part of everyday life over the coming years and Paysend is seeking to make them available to as many members of the public as possible, and as easy to use as traditional currencies.”

Different Uses for NFC on the Mobile Phone

NFC (near field communication) is one of the most powerful yet underutilized features that is available for the mobile phone. Given the disconnect that exists between the number of functions that can be utilized with NFC coupled with the large number of people who are not familiar with the different functions that it can be applied to, this article discusses some of the best uses for the NFC technology on the phone. One of the most popular ways to use NFC is for payments with the mobile phone. With this, users can load their different financial cards on the device and use it to tap on applicable point of sale (POS) systems as they would with their physical cards.

RFID Badges Printed With Color Photos

Government agencies, utility companies and trade shows are among the firms that employ RFID-enabled badges so that they can closely monitor the movements of visitors or personnel for safety and security purposes. However, most badges must be made in advance, or else they lack visual data about an individual, his or her credentials or what that person looks like. For this use case, printer and accessories company Primera Technology has released the RX500 Color RFID Label & Tag Printer, which enables the printing and encoding of a disposable employee or visitor badge.

Why is Wellington still waiting for a universal public transport smartcard?

Wellington is crying out for a transport game-changer. So why are its officials dragging the chain on a solution that has been sitting under their noses for years? It's bordering on farcical that commuters across the Wellington region still don't have an electronic smartcard they can use to pay and transfer seamlessly across all trains, buses and ferries. We're not talking alien technology here. Commuters in Sydney, Melbourne, London, New York, Hong Kong and Vancouver (to name just a few) all carry such magical cards in their wallets. My God, even the transport quagmire that is Auckland has figured this one out.

Robot Employs RFID to Manage Warehouse Inventory

Several logistics companies and retailers are either piloting or deploying an RFID-enabled version of a robot that counts inventory—in some cases 24 hours a day, seven days a week—in and among personnel and moving equipment. The TagSurveyor robot, from California automation technology company Fetch Robotics, leverages UHF RFID reader technology, as well as the Freight100 robot base from sensor company Sick. The two firms demonstrated their technology at RFID Journal LIVE! 2018, held last month in Orlando, Fla.

Automated Distribution Centers Can Benefit From RFID

Despite the advances made in distribution center (DC) operations over the years, many are not fully automated. The DC has evolved to meet the faster pace of retail and to adapt to more flexible fulfillment options. In fact, some areas of the DC are still labor intensive, and as a result, error prone. Below, we review three challenging tasks and how RFID can be a major part of the solution. RFID enables DC staff to manage order variability with process automation. Using RFID, pickers can quickly find items, reserve and confirm them. They can even pick multiple orders at once.

ANZ sees dramatic uptake in digital wallet payments

ANZ Bank customers made almost $600 million in mobile payments during the first half of fiscal year 2018. The bank said tthat customers completed more than 18.5 million mobile payment transactions in the half, an increase of 156 percent on the previous corresponding period. ANZ said the transactions were made from mobile wallet services from Apple, Samsung, Google, Fitbit and Garmin, as well as the bank's own mobile pay service. (Photo: Pear285).

Parents shocked to discover QR code at park beside school leads to porn site

The retail provider of an outdoor gym beside an Edmonton elementary school is coming under fire after their QR code led at least one parent to a pornographic website. While her kids played nearby, Kathy Meyer was hoping to learn more about how to use the outdoor gym located next to Edmonton's St. Martha Catholic Elementary School. A sign at the park provided a few photos and instructions on how to use the equipment, along with a QR code. The use of QR codes has become increasingly common for businesses. The code -- a small combination of black and white squares -- acts as a barcode that can be scanned using the camera of a mobile device, often linking to the company's website or social media profile.

Murata Developing Small On-Metal Tag for Surgical or Industrial Tool Tracking

Murata Manufacturing is introducing early versions of a new on-metal tag to ease the use of passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tracking on metallic items. The small tag is designed predominantly for use in managing surgical tools, but could also work with other tools or small metallic products. Murata is also offering middleware known as RFID System Administrator (RSA), which was originally developed and sold by ID-Solutions, which Murata acquired in June 2017. RSA supports data connection between companies' existing IT systems and the RFID readers and printers that are being used to read the ultra-small and on-metal tag.

SEPTA Key costs balloon to fix smartcard snafus

SEPTA has increased the estimated price of implementing the Key card payment system to $297.77 million, up about 70 percent from the $175 million cost SEPTA estimated after selecting the project’s main contractor. The price jump in the capital budget for the upcoming fiscal year comes along with a three-year delay on the project’s finish date until 2020. The project was originally scheduled for completion in December 2013. Both changes can be blamed on unexpected do-overs and additions needed for the system software, and design upgrades for the notoriously user-unfriendly kiosks.

Now I Have an RFID Implant I Have No Idea What to Do With

Most implants simply aren’t that useful. Magnets are a popular implant, but all they do is allow the body to sense magnetic fields, a neat party trick without much practical use. (One grinder said she was able to diagnose a problem with her grandmother’s electric stove with the help of her magnet implant. Another incorporates the implants into her day job as a Vegas magician. In one trick, a magnet in her hand powers a lightbulb.) Plus, implanted magnets encounter problems so often that having one removed is practically a grinder right of passage. Using your hand to start your car or unlock your front door with an RFID is cool and perhaps even practical if you’re someone whose always losing their keys. But those chips have limited memory, and many systems are incompatible with one another, making it a guessing game what will work and what won’t.

Beijing metro to accept mobile payments via QR codes

Commuters using Beijing’s metro system will soon be able to utilize mobile payment platforms including WeChat Pay and Alipay to pay fares with the city’s new transit app. The service will be available on all but the Xijiao line from April 29. The Easy Pass (易通行 yitongxing) app will allow commuters to access the city’s metro system using QR codes.  It uses a “ride first, pay later” feature, in which fares are deducted only when leaving the station. Similar platforms have already been implemented in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Xi’an.

RFID chip maker Impinj reports $25M in revenue

Impinj, the Seattle company whose RFID products are used to identify and locate a multitude of products, from medical supplies and food to automobile parts and apparel, posted a net loss of $14.4 million on revenue of $25.1 million during the quarter ended March 31. Even though net losses are growing and the company just closed offices resulting in a nine percent reduction in workforce, Impinj CEO Chris Diorio indicated that things are starting to turn a corner. “Based on team execution, enhanced partner inventory visibility and positive bookings trends we believe we are on track to make the first half of 2018 the turning point for our business,” said Diorio in a press release.

Partners Produce Sigfox IoT Modules

STMicroelectronics and Jorjin Technologies announce the certification of the dual-radio modules that combine Sigfox wireless-network technology with Bluetooth low energy (BLE). Jorjin’s WS211x Sigfox/BLE modules employ ST’s BlueNRG-1 BLE System-on-Chip (SoC) and the S2-LP sub-1GHz RF transceiver. This enables the modules to deliver dual RF connectivity and extend battery lifetime, targeting coin-cell -operated or energy-harvesting IoT applications. The modules are fully programmable devices exploiting ultra-low power Arm Cortex-M0 technology embedded in the BLE SoC to act as independent IoT connectivity nodes.

Snacks for sale by QR code in selected Nanjing taxis

Passengers can now buy snacks and drinks by scanning QR codes in more than 400 taxis across Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, much like an “in-vehicle convenience store," Modern Express reported. The pilot program is also a gesture to increase taxi drivers' incomes as each driver will receive 15 percent for every item sold, according to Ling Qiang, secretary-general of the city’s taxi association.

Schneider Electric announces Edge Module for IoT processing

Schneider Electric is the latest player to jump into the edge computing game for Internet of Things (IoT) devices with the announcement of its Edge Module for mobile and IoT applications. It follows the trend of processing IoT data where it is generated rather than sending it to a remote data center. Schneider Electric is a European giant that mostly specializes in energy management and power systems. So, it’s no surprise that the Edge Module comes with integrated power and cooling systems. That includes single- or three-phase power with a flexible power train in multiple ranges, N+1 standard cooling, and package cooling units mounted on the outside of the module to eliminate the need for external condensers or piping.

RFID Solution to Prevent Terrorism on Flights

Gate Gourmet Peru is deploying an RFID system at the Jorge Chávez International Airport, in Lima, intended to prevent knives from falling into the hands of potential terrorists. The ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) and Near Field Communication (NFC)-based cabinet solution, designed to manage the kitchen tools used during food preparation, tracks each knife used to prepare inflight meals. The system consists of tags attached to the knives, seven RFID-enabled smart cabinets in which the knives are stored, and software that identifies each time a knife is removed and later returned, as well as by whom. The technology is provided by Radical Solutions. An NFC reader in the cabinet also confirms the identity of any individual who removes a knife.

US supermarket chain Meijer to launch mobile self-checkout service

Meijer plans to launch a self-scanning mobile application in Chicago-area stores by the end of the summer, a move likely to be followed by some larger retailers in the near future. The Shop & Scan service allows shoppers to scan products as they shop with a Meijer app downloaded on their phones and bag the groceries on the go. To check out, shoppers hold their phones up to a self-checkout register, then walk out the door. Throughout the grocery industry, in Chicago and nationally, retailers have been ramping up mobile ordering, delivery and pickup options for increasingly tech-savvy consumers on the go

New RFID Reader Serves as All-Inclusive Point-of-Sale Device

An Italian luxury clothing brand is among the first companies to deploy an RFID point-of-sale (POS) solution using new multi-purpose desktop readers from CAEN RFID that serve as POS devices. The company, which has asked to remain unnamed, is using the company's new Hex readers for operations related to POS purchases. CAEN RFID's parent company, CAEN SpA, sells data-acquisition electronic instrumentation and power supplies for nuclear physics and particle physics experiments. Caen's RFID division was opened in 2003, then spun off from the company in 2006 to offer ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID-enabled readers.

Alibaba’s future of retail involves QR codes, smart mirrors, and gamified discounts

According to Chinese online retail giant Alibaba, the future of retail technology is rooted in object and facial recognition, QR codes, and gamifying shopper discounts. These are the technologies the $32 billion retailer is pioneering back home in China, and is currently showcasing in pop-up shops around Australia, hoping to entice local merchants to implement the tech with their own e-commerce platforms to drive better omnichannel engagement from shoppers.

Telcos exploring mixed approaches to IoT

Telcos believe the arrival of cellular Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G technologies will transform the industry and generate revenue growth, but there is no consensus on strategy. A new report from Ericsson found that traditional telco revenue streams are being squeezed by over the top (OTT) applications, intense competition and, in Europe, tightening regulation. IoT is recognised as a way of delivering new services that will offset these declines and fund network investment.

Samsung Pay And PayPal Power In-Store Payments

Brick-and-mortar retail has spent the last decade building bridges to the digital world so a new generation of digital consumers can move fluidly between them. What’s been largely left behind, however, is a payments experience that moves just as seamlessly between those worlds. There have been many attempts to bridge the gap, but consumers haven’t really taken the bait. Using NFC mobile wallets in stores has seen lackluster adoption despite their slick and convenient user experience. Digital wallets are only as convenient as they are useful, and as a form factor substitute for plastic cards, consumers don’t feel they’re much of either. The lack of ubiquitous acceptance, coupled with the lack of utility, has kept consumers from making the NFC mobile wallet a major part of their in-store payments experience.

HID Global Announces Smart Card Featuring FIDO2 Credential

HID Global has embraced the new FIDO2 standard, announcing a new HID smart card featuring a FIDO2 credential. The company is working with Microsoft to enable login to Windows and other software and devices via its smart card solution.HID Global Announces Smart Card Featuring FIDO2 Credential/ FIDO2 is the new flagship authentication standard of the FIDO Alliance. It’s key innovation over previous FIDO standards is the facilitation of biometric and security key-based login through web browsers, but it also supports a number of other applications and use cases, with strong authentication being the through line.