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NFC technology may be the car key of the (near) future

| December 29, 2012

nfc technology car keysKorean vehicle manufacturer, Hyundai, will soon replace car keys with smartphones.

Hyundai has just made a new high tech announcement in which it revealed its latest NFC technology smartphone system that will use a driver’s mobile phone to replace traditional car keys.

The auto manufacturer predicts that this option will become available on some 2015 models.

This means that within two years’ time, drivers may be able to use NFC technology enabled smartphones to lock and unlock their cars, as well as to turn them on. This cutting edge technology uses the latest in smartphone features in a brand new way for added convenience and comfort.

Unlocking the vehicle will be as simple as waving the NFC technology enabled smartphone over the window.

The window of the vehicles will be equipped with an electronic tag that reads NFC technology communications. This way, a simple wave of the device is all that is needed to lock or unlock the doors. Hyundai is calling this its Connectivity Concept.

A statement from the chief operating officer at Hyundai Motor Europe, Allan Rushforth, said that the Connectivity Concept highlights the auto manufacturer’s philosophy for using the latest technologies that are accessible to a broad spectrum of customers. Rushforth explained that “With this technology, Hyundai is able to harness the all-in-one functionality of existing smartphone technology and integrating it into everyday driving in a seamless fashion.”

The NFC technology features were demonstrated by the company in Germany, where it gave a preview using the concept version of its small popular car, the i30. Models using these features should become available as early as 2015. Also in those vehicles will be an expanded use of the smartphone chips, which will allow the devices to rest into a central console featuring a 7 inch display.

That way the NFC technology will be able to provide the information system of the vehicle with a number of in-car preferences, such as synched music, radio station choices, navigation route data from the contact list, and seat and mirror settings, all while charging the device. Each driver profile will be saved separately.

Mcommerce has taken off in the land down under

| December 28, 2012

Mcommerce AustraliaAustralia has experienced tremendous growth of the use of smartphone and tablet devices for holiday purchases.

The latest mcommerce news from Australia is clearly showing that people living in the land down under enjoy holiday shopping with the help of their smartphones and tablets and have been using them more than ever before throughout this season.

Recent data released by PayPal Australia has revealed that nearly one quarter of Australians have used mobile to buy.

The statistics have indicated that 22 percent of Australians have used a smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device for mcommerce purposes throughout the Christmas shopping season. It has been estimated that by the end of 2012, there will have been $5.6 billion worth of purchases made in that country through the use of these devices.

When compared to the figures from previous years, mcommerce has exploded in Australia.

In 2010, the spending over mcommerce in Australia was recorded to be $155 million, which is tremendously lower than this year’s data. These figures are showing a phenomenal growth to the channel.

Among the additional trends that have been observed include the timing of the purchases. For example, over the Christmas period, nearly one in every three purchases that have been made over mcommerce have occurred between the hours of 8pm and midnight. Jeff Clementz, the managing director at PayPal Australia, has said that this indicates a new trend of using smartphones and tablets after the brick and mortar stores have closed.

He explained that “Our data demonstrates that for consumers, there is residual ‘shopping time’ continuing on from the ‘in-store’ experience after they leave the shopping centre, on their mobile devices.” He also went on to add that “Additionally, we are seeing consumers shop in short mission focused bursts on mobile devices as they knock items off their Christmas list while commuting or relaxing at home.”

The information that has been collected over the holiday season regarding the ways in which mcommerce is used by Australians will be very important for defining the way that features and services are offered and campaigns are run over upcoming shopping seasons.