Days after the Australian Hotels Association went into crisis mode after it was discovered that electronic key locks, which are installed in most four and five star hotels can be opened using a combination of electronic key card and a Smartphone, Apple has confirmed that they are investing in short range wireless technology.
Near Field Communications (NFC) is a brand new technology that lets information be sent over short distances such as between a mobile phone and a cash register or ATM machine.
Recently Apple confirmed that it had hired an expert in Near Field Communications, they have also lodged several patent applications, which hints that Apple could soon lodge new capabilities for future iPhones.
Benjamin Vigier was hired by Apple, his previous job was at mFoundry, where he created an NFC-based payment system for a US bank but also handled mobile payment apps for Paypal, Sprint, Starbucks and a handful of US carriers.
In April, Apple patented both a traditional payment app, as well as a new payment app that allows users to pay for a concert ticket via their mobile and then confirm attendance when they turn up at a concert by pointing their phone at an entry kiosk.
Currently Nokia and Google are working on similar applications.
