cool-but-useless?

NFC is the only possible way I see to have true cryptographic-based payment systems... and that is "useless"? Impotent maybe, but useless???

Anyway, on the revenue-stream / balance of power thing... if only credit card companies were truly held accountable for losses due to replay attacks on credit cards, then they'd snap this up in a second. But as long as they continue to be allowed to pass the buck to consumers and merchants, this will never happen.