“On September 22, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals how future iPhones and other Apple devices will be able to effortlessly communicate with everyday electronic devices like a downtown parking meter, a garage or home door, a grocery store cash register or a stereo component,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“Apple first established some of these future functionalities, such as using the iPhone as an electronic key or working with in-home devices back in early 2010 working with NFC,” Purcher reports. “Then last week a new Apple patent application revealed how the iPhone could adopt RFID circuitry and reader to perform some of the very same noted tasks.”
Purcher reports, “In today’s revelations, Apple states that they’ll adopt a host of other wireless technology standards to enable the iPhone to communicate with all of tomorrow’s smart devices. Apple is preparing future iPhones to work as an electronic wallet and in doing so must ensure that it’ll work on any given wireless network that a retailer or city service implements. In the big picture, Apple now has all of their bases covered. The next step will be introducing iWallet capabilities into a future iPhone that will take e-commerce to the next level.”
More in the full article, including Apple’s patent application illustrations, here.
Are smart phones getting too smart? 1984 is here and now. Phones that track you. Open your doors, pay your bills. Call me old fashioned. Less is not more with privacy.
If you imagine for one second that crippling smartphones over this issue will ensure your privacy then you are truly deluded. There is only one way to ensure your total privacy, and that’s to drop off the radar completely, only use cash, no bank accounts, cards or anything.
Like always: Apple has a foot in the future!
Tomorrow the world.
Japan cell phones have been using NFC or at least NFC like technology at sales points since at least 2006. VERY handy. The US and western world has been way behind on this.
I think Apple is going into the right direction and by doing it “first” in the western world can set a up a great and simple user interface for these features. This will be much better than having a MS like, and prior to iPhone like – discombobulated way of doing smart phone wireless and purchases (among other things) at the point or place of sale.
OMG, Apple will start making parking meters, the iMeters, with iPod built in, and it’s an iCloud device too.
I have been fortunate to have been able to spend lots of time in France over the last decade. During my expended stays, I usually ‘lease’ a Renault because it’s the best deal for long term use. Most of the cars have come with a card, not a key. It’s like the car remotes that you see in NA except that it has extra functionality. I never have to take it out of my pocket. I approach the car and touch the door handle and the car unlocks. I sit in the drive seat and press a button to start the motor, no key to turn. I leave the car and walk away and it locks automatically. No need to press any buttons. I love that. It’s this facility that our iPhones will offer.
So if your phone is lost or stolen basically the thieves have the keys to the palace.