Android phone to replace shop till Alcatel-Lucent has demonstrated Google's Nexus S being used to accept a Near Field Communications (NFC) payment, showing that NFC can do more than replace a customer's wallet. Mobile phones are going to replace physical wallets, but for taking payments, merchants still use expensive readers bought (or hired) from the banks. …
***"Existing mobile payment systems, such as the bar codes being deployed by Masabi on the UK train networks, can't be read by another handset as phone cameras aren't good enough to read a code displayed on-screen ... at least not yet."***
That certainly isn't my experience, though it can be rather hit and miss, which wouldn't be much use at a busy ticket barrier.
However, there are plenty of Bluetooth "ring" scanners (1D and 2D) that can be coupled to the phone. These cost about £500 each, but still pretty cheap compared to a full POS terminal.
simple physical tokens of "money", that can be physically passed to somebody, at which point it becomes "their money". This would be convenient if you didn't want to use your phone, or your battery ran out. Either some kind of voucher printed on paper, or pieces of some more robust material stamped with a distinctive design, could be used. Call me crazy.
Alternatively you could just take a picture of the tokens with your camera and use that, or would that be too silly?
"This would be convenient if you didn't want to use your phone, or your battery ran out."
Or as in my case where my HTC desire has been back with Carphone Warehouse for the past 8 days because it decided to go into the multiple reboot then die mode. Not a feature google or HTC told me about when I got it
If I was using this technology I'd be stuck not being able to by my smokes or get to work on public transport.
title says it all. my laptop's screen has plenty enough resolution and contrast for my phone to scan a 2D or 3D barcode from, without blowing up the code to stupid sizes either (ie, the barcode is no bigger than it would be if displayed on a phone screen).
My HTC Legend phone isn't exactly ancient, but it's hardly cutting edge either.
Interestingly though, the webcam on my laptop can very rarely read barcodes from the real, high-resolution, world, let alone a screen.
My Android can read barcodes off the computer screen. I have used 2d ones to link to software I was wanting to install. Worked every time.
I have had less practice with the 1d ones so I googled some pictures just now. Every one worked.
My phone is nothing new and shiny - HTC Hero.
money to other parties. Other than fraud prevention, the only reason for banks to delay wires is to retain some chance to collect on wire transfer fees. Imagine if people needing bridge loans between paydays get in on this. Various phone companies could find themselves wanting a piece of that action. Imagine phone companies getting into payroll transfers, too.
That's where you will find my cash.
Alcatel-Lucent hope to make a little money on A LOT of transactions.
The guberments want to track everything, for our own good of course, nothing to do with tax, suppressing legitimate opposition and the like...have you thought of the children recently?? Well don't you paedo scum.
Who could possibly lose out of this?!
"There are also significant security considerations, which aren't addressed by the company's demonstration."
Ya think? How can NFC be secured against skimming in, for example, a crowded subway car? They can have my physical wallet when they pull it off my cold, dead--uh, never mind.
The cost of them changing it into 'money in their bank' is usually far too high for their small business.. Even the Oyster (London transport NFC) card shops will only take cash..
It will have to be *heavily* subsidized for anyone smaller than a supermarket to use...
"There are also significant security considerations, which aren't addressed by the company's demonstration."
Like some scrote programming his Galaxy to deduct 50p from everyone he bumps into while its in his pocket? That could harvest a couple of grand just by being a nuisance on the tube.
I'll stick with cash & pin terminals, ta.
The obstacles will be political/corporate rather than technical. The banks and card issuers demand compliance with the likes of PCI-DSS. Unless they certify mobile phones as secure it's not going to happen. Allegedly secure dedicated terminals have been compromised in the past, it would be child's play to exploit a mobile phone. The decision will be the card issuers and banks, not Google's.
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