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Apple seeks to expand the use of NFC
According to "The Information" Apple has initiated discussions with the access control solution providers HID Global and Cubic in order to use the iPhone instead of the traditional cards.
Apple was one of the last smartphone manufacturers not implementing the NFC technology. With the iPhone 6 and 6+ it's done, but only partially, as the NFC is restricted to the mobile payment service from Apple, the ApplePay. According to "The Information" Apple could consider other applications and started discussions with the access control solution providers HID Global and Cubic.
Denied by the interested parties, this information does not mean that Apple is ready to open the NFC to developers. Access control is indeed quite similar to mobile payment technology in many ways, such as the identification and the security aspects, and could exploit some of its layers. However, it suggests that Apple could expand the use of the NFC technology.
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LittleThumb obtains a grant from the Ile de France region
The Regional Council of the Ile de France and BPI France offered LittleThumb a grant to help with the development of innovative projects.
As part of its Regional Fund for Innovation, jointly funded with BPI France, the Regional Council of the Ile de France awarded LittleThumb a grant to help with the development of innovative projects.
This grant is going to contribute to financing the program of innovation of Little Thumb in three complementary directions: improving the navigation function, taking into account the user profile when planning a route, in particular for people with reduced mobility, and optimization of the compilation of the digital cartography data.
These developments are aimed to make the LittleThumb solution even simpler and more user friendly.
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The iPhone 6 integrates NFC for mobile payment
After months and even years of rumors and speculation, Apple integrates the NFC technology into its new iPhone6, but only for the mobile payment service ApplePay.
Cupertino, Tuesday September 9, 2014, Apple introduced the new iPhones 6 and 6+ including the NFC technology. What was no longer a secret after the information about the integration of an NXP chip, has now become a reality. However the NFC will be reserved exclusively, at least initially, to the mobile payment system ApplePay. This is not entirely surprising as Apple's policy has always been very careful when introducing new features. Remember that the first iPhone excluded all applications other than those developed by Apple, that it took several years to allow applications using the GPS of the iPhone and more recently the developers had to wait 12 months before access to fingerprint recognition functions. An Apple spokesman specified that the NFC functions will remain blocked for at least one year.
All the hopes are thus allowed as for the possibility of using the NFC for applications other than payment and in particular the pedestrian navigation. This announcement marks a step, however symbolic, towards the generalization of the NFC, which through transport applications and contactless payments continues to grow rapidly.
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First Little Thumb prototype and demonstration site in Paris
Nine months after the first sketches of the project, Little Thumb finalized the development of the prototype solution and a demonstration system is deployed in one of the buildings of Telecom ParisTech.
For the first time Little Thumb assembled in real size all the components of its geo-localization and navigation solution: the mobile application running on various Android smartphones, StoneTags allowing the user to find his way, and the digital cartographic model developed using the tool MapTool.
The first emblematic place equipped with the solution Little Thumb is the building of Telecom ParisTech located in rue Dareau in the 14th district of Paris. This building is particularly well suited to presenting the advantages of the LittleThumb solution. It contains a large number of rooms, offices and hallways in a limited space with very few openings towards the outside, and so it is easy to lose one's sense of direction. The demonstration site covers 4 levels, 2 elevators and 5 staircases. It allows various situations such as superimposed staircases, half-levels, mezzanines to be presented and to show the strength and the flexibility of the cartographic model of Little Thumb. NFC StoneTags and the Android application allow the user to navigate from the underground parking to the various spaces of the building and to reach the desired meeting room office easily.
Don't hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to welcome you to rue Dareau to live the LittleThumb experience in person.
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The project LittleThumb is incubated by Telecom & Management SudParis Entrepreneur
LittleThumb has signed a contract of incubation with one of the incubators of the Institute Mines Telecom in Arcueil.
The LittleThumb project, which was until recently a personal project of 3 people, has become an entrepreneurial initiative. Within the incubator of Télécom&Management SudParis in Arcueil, the project is going to benefit from coaching and support in order to structure its development and progress quickly towards a marketable solution.