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Owners of Google's Nexus S smartphones can soon use the device to process mobile payments via near-field communications tech, via software from a company called Charge Anywhere.

Charge Anywhere's existing mobile payments application has already allowed owners of iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android devices to process credit card payments with their phones and a dedicated reader to swipe the cards.

But the latest version to the software, announced at yesterday's CTIA trade show, turns the Nexus S phone into a full mobile payment terminal. This means that owners can process MasterCard PayPass and Visa Blink payments remotely using … Read more

We may not have jet packs yet, but pretty soon plastic will be a thing of the past. At least in our wallets, that is.

The technology that will bring us part of the way there is near-field communications (NFC), an exciting tool that lets devices exchange information with one another when in close proximity. So far, its main use has centered on payments, specifically point-of-sale terminals at retailers. In fact, you probably have a credit card from your bank with an NFC chip in it.

The next frontier for those little chips is in smartphones. Like wallets, these have … Read more

Though rumors about the next iPhone, expected to be released this summer, have consistently contained mentions of near field communication technology, The New York Times has confirmed that Apple has indeed been working on the feature, though how soon it may debut is still up for speculation.

The information comes to the paper from two people who say they have knowledge of the inner-workings of a future version of Apple's iPhone. Apparently, Qualcomm will produce an NFC chip to be included on the iPhone's processor, allowing people  to simply scan their iPhone near a qualifying NFC reader … Read more

If you were hoping to start using the next iPhone as a mobile wallet, the wait might be a bit longer.

A report posted this morning by The Independent says that Apple does not plan to include a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip in the next version of the iPhone. The reasoning there, according to The Independent's sources at "several of the largest mobile operators in the UK," is that the current NFC standards landscape is fragmented, and Apple plans to introduce its own system, which could take well into next year to be readied.

NFC allows … Read more

European consumers may finally be able to pay for items via their smartphones next year, through a system under development by LG Electronics.

LG's system would use a combination of near-field communication (NFC) and cloud computing to allow certain retailers in Europe to accept payments from customers using NFC-equipped smartphones. Scheduled to launch sometime in 2012, the system would also find its way into interactive TVs and security products sold by LG, Reuters reported this week.

"The point-of-sale technology, which will be targeted at small and medium-sized businesses..., is currently in beta testing," Jin-Yong Kim, vice president … Read more

Consumers may soon be able to pay for items on the go directly through their iPhones or iPads.

Apple is reportedly working to outfit the next generation of its smartphone and tablet with near-field communications (NFC) technology, which would let consumers use the devices to make mobile payments as an alternative to cash and credit cards, according to a story today by the Bloomberg news service.

Richard Doherty, director of the technology consulting firm Envisioneering Group, told Bloomberg that both the iPhone 5 from AT&T and the iPad 2 would likely include NFC chips, citing engineers working on … Read more

CNET TV's Brian Tong discusses the latest in Apple news, rumors, tips, and tricks. This week, the iPad gets more television than you can shake a stick at, iPhone 4 rumors heat up with reports of Apple testing near field communications, and a quick tip for reading PDFs in iOS 4.

Can't see the video? Have an iPhone or iPad? Click the following link to download this week's Apple Byte (should show in the HTML5 viewer in Safari):

→ Apple Byte 8/20/2010 for iPad and iPhone ←

Is near field communications the next big feature for iPhone? … Read more

Iron Mountain said Monday that it is picking up Mimosa Systems in a deal worth $112 million.

Mimosa specializes in enterprise content archiving systems. Iron Mountain focuses on data archiving, e-discovery and information management.

According to the companies, the plan is to use Mimosa's NearPoint software, which operates inside the corporate firewall to archive SharePoint data and files, to create a suite of information management services.

Iron Mountain is building an on-site and cloud-based portfolio to manage information to the point where it is destroyed.

Mimosa Systems CEO T.M. Ravi will become chief marketing officer for Iron Mountain … Read more

Bank of America believes Americans to be overloaded with "a high salary, good benefits, a good work environment, vacation time, and other job-related perks." For shame!

But have no fear, Bank of America has submitted a patent application that will help companies find places to get work done where such pesky things as nice salaries, good benefits, good work environments, and vacation time are abandoned. (And yet, as Bret and Jermaine of Flight of the Conchords suggest, getting cheaper labor doesn't necessarily lead to cheaper products, though it does lead to fatter profits.)

Here's what it looks like:… Read more