Remember the physical Google Wallet card that was first spotted back in November? Well, according to sources of AllThingsD, that project has been pushed back after CEO Larry Page received a final demo of it last week, leaving the meeting unimpressed with the “glitchy” service. From what the source states, Page wants something that presses innovation more like Square and other startups are doing currently. 

Although a card is said to not be rolling out, they will be updating Wallet with new rewards, offers and loyalty points to help the service compete and stay relevant to Apple’s PassBook.

Even though this might be a step back for Google, we still wish the service was completely supported on Verizon and other carriers.

Via: AllThingsD

Cheers Open1Your1Eyes0!

Google Wallet Card Reportedly on Hold, Won’t Be Shown Off at I/O Next Week is a post from: Droid Life

The NFC Forum was founded in 2004 and has companies from around the technology world working together to try to get NFC into as many hands as possible. Google joined the group in 2011 as just another member of the group, but the Forum announced today that Google is now on the Sponsor level, which gets them a spot on the board of directors.

We don’t know if Google is going to use this new position to try and push NFC into more of a household name, but it’s no secret that Google would love for NFC to become more widespread. Their Wallet application is currently unable to gain traction as a physical payment system, no thanks to carriers and card companies. Maybe they will use this position to help move things along. 

Via: The Next Web

Google Promoted To NFC’s Board of Directors With Wallet Clearly in Mind is a post from: Droid Life

A feature that we are seeing in all of the new top Android phones, is NFC. But we almost have to ask ourselves, why is that? If you ask Kellex or myself, we probably don’t use this feature anywhere near as much as we think we should. Even being the two Android Geek Guys™ that we are, when we’re hanging out together, I don’t think we have ever beamed anything to each other.

The system does have its own niche though in today’s marketplace. More businesses are implementing mobile payment stations, which allow users that are signed up for things like Google Wallet and ISIS to take advantage of these chips. But on top of that, is anyone actually using NFC to its full “potential?”

Once you answer the question below, feel free to drop down below in the comments and let us know how you implement NFC into your life, if so at all. Do you make mobile payments with it? Use it turn on system settings using well-placed stickers about your house and workplace?

Monday Poll: Do You Use Your Phone’s NFC Capabilities? is a post from: Droid Life

Having realized that your phones can be used for things other than making calls, like paying for goods on the go, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile teamed up to create a joint venture called Isis Mobile Wallet. It’s goal is to become your one and only NFC-based mobile payment system. While the service hasn’t rolled out nationally, it is being tested in two markets:  Salt Lake City and Austin. For those who live in these two cities, you can test the service to your heart’s desire this very minute as long as you have a phone with an NFC chip inside. The rest of us, we have to wait until it gets the thumbs up for a bigger rollout.

In the mean time, we thought we’d put together a little tutorial on the app since we were able to get a hold of one of Isis’ requirements, an NFC SIM card. We typically like to do our best at preparing the DL community for what’s to come. So let’s talk about it.

NFC SIM Card

With Isis Mobile Wallet, you are required to use a brand new NFC-equipped secure SIM card. We aren’t fully sure the reasoning behind this, since there is an NFC chip in most phones, but it likely adds a level of security that Verizon and its partners feel more comfortable with. In fact, if you try to load up Isis on your NFC phone, it’ll fail as it looks to the Secure Element of an NFC SIM for approval. Once you drop an NFC SIM in, the app fires right up, and starts the setup process.

If you live in Salt Lake City or Austin, you can pop into your local Verizon store and they’ll give you an NFC SIM at no charge. If you live outside of those areas, you can call into customer care and request one, which usually takes a couple of days to arrive.

Setup Instructions:

1.  Once you have inserted your NFC SIM and it has activated, you are ready to setup Isis.
2.  Install the app from the Google Play store.
3.  Upon first launching the app, it’ll check your phone to see that you have a correct SIM inserted.
4.  Once verified, you will walk through a brief setup that asks for account, password, and PIN.

5.  Isis will work on preparing the secure element of your phone which takes a few minutes.
6.  Once finished, they will notify you via text that you can use Isis.

7.  Now, open the app, input your PIN, and get to the real goods – setting up cards and offers.

Isis App Tour

Once you are inside the app, it’s time to navigate around, setup cards, find offers, and figure out how to use the damn thing. For most, you should initially see the Isis Cash prepaid card. This is a VISA that can be loaded with as much cash as you wish, but to get you into using the service, Isis will give you $10. Well, unless you are me, who they apparently decided wasn’t worthy of this perk. All I could do was add credit cards – there was no prepaid card for me.

On a credit card front, we should point out that you can’t add any card of choice. At this time, Isis only supports Capitol One, Chase, and American Express cards. We hope they open it up to all cards at some point, but for now, this is what you get.

I should also point out that the setup process isn’t all that simple. Both Capitol One and American Express redirect you to outside websites for setup. Once you walk through the process, you have to wait for the credit card company to process your request to add the card to Isis, which could take several minutes. Once approved, you will receive notice and your app will then show your card connected. Definitely not as seamless as Google Wallet.

Beyond cards, depending on your locale, Isis will also show you local offers and a feed of nearby deals from companies or businesses they have partnered with. For me, Macy’s was it, however, once I changed my zip code, I was able to see a number of deals for places in Salt Lake City.

When viewing an offer, you are able to use a barcode that can be scanned in store (I’d assume because the store doesn’t have Pay Pass or pay-to-tap capabilities) or you can hit the button to give you the power to tap.

The app itself is setup with panels that can be accessed by selecting the appropriate button at the bottom for Home, Isis Feed, Directory, or More. On the main page of the app, you have a top portion that allows you to flip between cards and a bottom portion that allows you to flip between offers. Other than that, it’s a pretty self explanatory service.

I’ll hopefully have some time to test the actual functionality of the app in the coming days, but so far, it seems a bit more difficult than I had imagined. There are toggles to activate things, no way to add your normal bank card, and some bugs that will more than likely be addressed.

I can help but compare this to Google Wallet, which in my early opinion, is a far superior mobile payment system to Isis. Google Wallet allows you to add any card in your wallet, and also makes it incredibly simple to pay for things with it. There are no on/off toggles – just tap, pay, and go. Too bad Google Wallet has been banned from our lives by the companies behind Isis.

Cheers Jason!

How to: Setup Isis Mobile Wallet on Verizon is a post from: Droid Life

Last week, we put together yet another new piece that discussed Verizon’s reasoning for not allowing Google Wallet to work on their NFC-equipped devices. In a response to an FCC complaint, VZW argued that since Google Wallet requires interaction with the “secure element” of a phone, that it’s different than normal applications, including other m-commerce apps. Since it needs to access this “secure element” in order to function, Verizon isn’t OK with it and has asked Google to make sure that it doesn’t work on their phones. However, with their own mobile payment app, they appear to be 100% behind an app using that same “secure element.” 

As you all know, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T have been working on their own NFC-based mobile payment system known as Isis Mobile Wallet. It’s essentially identical to Google Wallet. Many of us have argued over the last year that these three carriers are simply blocking Google Wallet because they have their own payment system in the works, something that they all deny. While we may never know the complete truth to the story, this latest find by one of our readers who installed Isis on his Galaxy S3 is certainly worth mentioning.

In the screenshots above, taken directly from the Isis Mobile Wallet app on a Verizon Galaxy S3, you can see mentions of the previously talked about “secure element.” In fact, the phone requirements for the app speak of this “secure element” as a “dedicated component in your phone” used to store payment cards and everything else needed to properly run a mobile payment app with NFC. Basically, that’s everything that they said was bad about Google Wallet, and that if Google removed this requirement, that its app could be used on Verizon phones.

We had initially tossed out the idea that maybe Verizon was asking Google to add in NFC-SIM requirements to the app, since Isis works with newly created NFC-SIM cards. Whether that is or was the case, it doesn’t appear to matter, as Isis will still use the “secure element” inside your phone, which again, is the same “secure element” that Verizon mentioned as the reasoning behind their stoppage of Google Wallet. They clearly are OK with their own mobile payment app accessing this.

Look, we could probably argue and complain about Verizon and other carriers’ ridiculous control over smartphones for days, but in the end, these are all just more reasons to think about leaving your carrier and buying an unlocked phone like the Nexus 4. Once you have freed yourself from contracts and the subsidy cycle, your mobile experience will be so much more open and free.

Cheers Christopher!

Verizon is OK With Isis Mobile Wallet Accessing the Secure Element on Your Phone, Just Not Google Wallet is a post from: Droid Life

NFC chips are pretty standard these days in smartphones, unless you own a device that begins with a lowercase “i.” As far as we are concerned, NFC is the future of sharing and mobile payments, two things we care deeply about as mobile enthusiasts. For the most part, phones come with NFC disabled until you head into Settings>Wireless & networks and check the box to enable it. This is probably the proper move while the world gets used to the thought of tapping to share information, especially since once enabled, there isn’t a way for you to tell if it remains active or not, unless you head back into settings. Well, until now. 

On at least two phones that I have used over the past couple of months, a new square-like boxy icon has appeared in the notification bar once I enable NFC. On both the LG Optimus G (2:55 mark of this video) and the HTC DROID DNA, this icon has appeared. It makes some sense that a new icon would constantly show that NFC is enabled, similarly to what we see with a data/WiFi connection, airplane mode, or pending alarm.

The interesting thing here, is the fact that the icon was identical on phones from two different manufacturers (LG and HTC). We aren’t sure if this is the new standard NFC icon handed down by some stuffy NFC governing body (Update:  appears to be the official logo), if OEMs are mysteriously trying to work together, or if the carriers are involved. No matter what, it appears to be here for good and we wanted to make sure you were aware of it.

I do wish it was a bit smaller, though.

That New Square-like Box in Your Notification Bar is the NFC Icon is a post from: Droid Life

If Google’s own help site is to be taken as a legitimate source of information (and why shouldn’t it be?), then it just confirmed that a Google Wallet card or credit card is on the way. First mentioned a week or so ago thanks to a leaked Google Wallet app, this new card will help take Google’s mobile payment system to the next level by expanding it beyond NFC phones.

As you can see in the image above, the card will only work with currently supported devices on Google’s short list. I was personally hoping that this list would expand with the introduction of this new card and services, but Google appears to be locked into an approved list of phones and tablets. Not sure if that is carriers winning another battle or…OK, that’s exactly what this means.

Ignore that entire paragraph. If I actually read at this early of an hour, I would have noticed that it does say that the card can be used with “all Android devices with an operating system of Android 2.3.3 or higher.” Hooray! The NFC portion is locked to NFC-enabled phones on the list provided, but again, the card and app will now work with all phones once it is released. 

To recap, this Google Wallet card can be programmed to use a default card in your Google Wallet app. In theory, you could switch payment accounts on the fly if you so choose to. It gives you a ton of flexibility in making payments using a card. In fact, since Google Wallet allows you to load up all of your credit cards into the app, you could essentially leave all other cards at home and simply carry around the new Google Wallet card.

We are also expecting to see new features like money withdrawal, payment sending between friends, and the ability to load up transit passes.

This new version of Google Wallet sounds like the ultimate mobile payment system, it’s just too bad that Google can’t find a way to get the NFC portion onto any NFC phone. Come on Google, work some magic.

Via:  Google | TechCrunch

Google’s Help Site Basically Confirms “Google Wallet Card” is a post from: Droid Life

Samsung released a major update to their TecTiles application tonight, turning it into one of the more advanced NFC tag writing applications around. In version 3.0, TecTiles allows you to write multiple actions to a single NFC tag, look back at previous tag history, and even create profiles that can be launched at any time. They also included more app integration by adding Google+ and Google Talk to the list, gave you the option to send a pre-written email using a TecTile, and can setup a tag to do something as specific as playing a single music track. Below, we have the lengthier version of these details, directly from Samsung. 

• Program multiple actions to a single TecTile – With one tap, a TecTile can perform a series of actions including turning on Bluetooth^®, launching the Navigation app and calling voicemail when entering a car.
• Customize Profiles – Version 3.0 enables users to turn the notion of a static TecTile on its head. Define preloaded Profiles within the app and program a different TecTile tag to launch each Profile – such as “normal,” “office,” “night” and “car” – allowing for easy toggling between Profiles throughout the day. Groups can also take advantage of Profiles. Rather than program a TecTile to evoke the same actions on every smartphone with every tap, Profiles allow one TecTile to perform customized actions for different users when scanned. For example, within the app, each TecTile user in an office can customize their “meeting” Profile to fit their specific preferences, such as automatically setting the phone to vibrate or silent mode, depending on user choice. Then, program one TecTile in a conference room to automatically launch each user’s unique, custom “meeting” Profile upon tapping. Users can also create and add their own custom Profiles based on daily activities, like “workout,” “gaming” or “TV.”
• Store TecTile tag history – Users can now keep a log of all TecTile tags they program for easy reference.
• Create private TecTile tags – Create private TecTile tags that only the owner’s phone can read. TecTile 3.0 will associate the programmer’s email address to all private TecTile tags and will only allow execution of a TecTile command to the programmer’s device.
• Unlock a previously locked TecTile – A TecTile programmer can unlock a previously locked TecTile, or clear a TecTile without having to overwrite with a new command. This is beneficial for both consumers and commercial users who want to extend the value of their TecTile tags while retaining the secure option to lock a TecTile.

Play Link

The update should work perfectly with most Samsung phones from the last year, along with a variety of other NFC-equipped devices like the HTC One X or RAZR HD.

_________________________________________________

Samsung Mobile Expands NFC Capabilities with TecTile^™ Version 3.0 

Samsung’s TecTile mobile application update offers more programmable settings, deeper app integration and the ability to program multiple commands to a single TecTile

DALLAS — Oct. 24, 2012 — Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile) – the No.1 mobile phone provider in the United States and a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide¹ – continues to advance the use of NFC technology in everyday life with the rollout of Samsung TecTile Version 3.0, the latest update to its popular mobile application. The Samsung TecTile 3.0 mobile app provides a variety of new ways to customize Samsung TecTile programmable NFC tags to automatically change features and settings of Samsung Android™ NFC-enabled devices with a single tap.

Samsung TecTile originally launched alongside the Samsung Galaxy S^® III as an introduction to the user-friendly capabilities of NFC beyond mobile payments. With the U.S. launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note^® II, TecTile programmable NFC tags and the TecTile3.0 mobile application can now automate everyday smartphone functions on Samsung’s newest iconic device.

“As the clear leader in NFC-enabled smartphone deployment in the United States, Samsung is committed to developing and advancing this promising mobile technology,” said Kevin Packingham, chief product officer of Samsung Telecommunications America. “Samsung TecTile tags combined with the TecTile 3.0 application simplifies the way consumers interact with their mobile device and greatly enhances the overall user experience.”

With the largest user base of NFC-enabled devices in the United States, Samsung continues to broaden the use of NFC technology for consumers and businesses by continually expanding and evolving the capabilities of the TecTile mobile application.

Enhancements offered with TecTile Version 3.0

• Programming Enhancements & Improved Usability
• • Program multiple actions to a single TecTile – With one tap, a TecTile can perform a series of actions including turning on Bluetooth^®, launching the Navigation app and calling voicemail when entering a car.
  • Customize Profiles – Version 3.0 enables users to turn the notion of a static TecTile on its head. Define preloaded Profiles within the app and program a different TecTile tag to launch each Profile – such as “normal,” “office,” “night” and “car” – allowing for easy toggling between Profiles throughout the day. Groups can also take advantage of Profiles. Rather than program a TecTile to evoke the same actions on every smartphone with every tap, Profiles allow one TecTile to perform customized actions for different users when scanned. For example, within the app, each TecTile user in an office can customize their “meeting” Profile to fit their specific preferences, such as automatically setting the phone to vibrate or silent mode, depending on user choice. Then, program one TecTile in a conference room to automatically launch each user’s unique, custom “meeting” Profile upon tapping. Users can also create and add their own custom Profiles based on daily activities, like “workout,” “gaming” or “TV.”
  • Store TecTile tag history – Users can now keep a log of all TecTile tags they program for easy reference.
  • Create private TecTile tags – Create private TecTile tags that only the owner’s phone can read. TecTile 3.0 will associate the programmer’s email address to all private TecTile tags and will only allow execution of a TecTile command to the programmer’s device.
  • Unlock a previously locked TecTile – A TecTile programmer can unlock a previously locked TecTile, or clear a TecTile without having to overwrite with a new command. This is beneficial for both consumers and commercial users who want to extend the value of their TecTile tags while retaining the secure option to lock a TecTile. 

• Programming Additions & Application Integration: Samsung has expanded the list of phone settings that TecTile can change when tapped, including the addition of Airplane mode, more comprehensive alarm settings and the ability to automatically change a ringtone. In addition, TecTile 3.0 can now integrate with more applications to give users a more comprehensive experience. Specifically, TecTile can now:
• • Share or edit an electronic business card, forward a call or send a pre-written email to a specific address
  • Toggle between Play/Pause settings on Music Player, or play a specific track
  • In addition to integration with LinkedIn^®, Facebook^® and foursquare^®, program a TecTile to update a Google+ status, start a Google Talk conversation, check in on Google Places or on Glympse™ location sharing

Samsung NFC-Enabled Android ^TM Smartphones

• Samsung Galaxy Note II on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon
• Samsung Galaxy S III on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon
• Samsung Galaxy Note^® on AT&T and T-Mobile
• Samsung Galaxy S^® II on T-Mobile
• Galaxy Nexus ^TM on Verizon, Sprint and GSM Unlocked
• Nexus ^TM S ^® 4G on Sprint
• Nexus ^TM S^® on AT&T and T-Mobile
• Samsung Galaxy S^® Blaze^® 4G on T-Mobile
• Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate™ on AT&T
• Samsung Galaxy S^® Relay™ 4G on T-Mobile
• Samsung Galaxy Victory™ 4G LTE on Sprint 

Pricing/Availability

Priced at $14.99 for a pack of five, TecTile programmable NFC sticker tags are available for purchase at Samsung.com and online and in-store at AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. The Samsung TecTile 3.0 mobile app is available for free in the Google Play™ marketplace.

Samsung TecTile Microsite

For a detailed list of added features and enhancements offered by the TecTile Version 3.0 upgrade, visit http://www.samsung.com/us/microsite/tectile/.

¹ Samsung Mobile is the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics, North America Handset Vendor Marketshare, Q2 2012.  Samsung Electronics Company is the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics Global Smartphone Vendor Market Share by Region: Q2 2012.

© Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC.  Samsung, Galaxy S, Galaxy Note, and TecTiles are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.  Android is a trademark of Google Inc.  Other company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks.

XXX

About Samsung Telecommunications America

Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, (Samsung Mobile) a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets, wireless infrastructure and other telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Samsung TecTiles 3.0 Update Introduces Profiles, Multiple Action Tagging, and More is a post from: Droid Life

This morning, Google added a line at the top of their Google Wallet page that reads, “The next version of Google Wallet, coming soon. Request an invite.” So what are you waiting for? Go request a damn invite! 

We would attempt to speculate as to what we may see in this new version, but your guess would be as good as ours. I think most importantly, Google needs to figure out a way to meet the security requirements of carriers, so that their app can be used on any NFC device on the planet. Up until now, carriers have decided that Google Wallet isn’t quite meeting their needs, and have asked Google to block the app from phones running on their networks. To me, the feature set of Wallet was already top notch, we just couldn’t use it.

What’s interesting, is that when you request your invite, you’ll see options to choose which kind of device you use:  Android, iOS, or other. If Google wants to flip the bird to carriers, making it widely available to any smartphone would be the way to do it. And if that’s the case, then maybe NFC will be partially taken out of the equation? Who knows, Google could adopt a similar system to what Apple has done with Passbook.

Thoughts?

Via:  Google Wallet

Cheers Jeff!

New Version of Google Wallet is on the Way, Request an Invite Today is a post from: Droid Life

As was announced by Isis PR briefly last week, the first two test markets for their Isis Mobile Wallet application go live today, October 22. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all have “Isis Ready” handsets available, so if you live in either Salt Lake City, UT or Austin, TX, you will want to stop by a store to receive a new NFC SIM card. After that, you will need to download the Isis app from the Google Play store, before you take off on a shopping spree.

There are a total of 11 devices that are “Isis Ready” today, only one from Verizon – the DROID Incredible 4G LTE. Isis plans to have 20 available by the end of the year, between all carriers.

Update:  Verizon released a statement moments ago, detailing their plans for Isis. In it, they mentioned that the DROID RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD will have Isis support by the end of the week (only in the test markets, of course).

ISIS, a joint venture among Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile, is doing just that. On Monday, Oct. 22, customers in Salt Lake City and Austin will be able to download the ISIS Mobile Wallet from Google Play to the DROID Incredible 4G LTE by HTC, visit stores in Austin and Salt Lake City to get a new SIM card, then add their credit, debit and loyalty cards into the Wallet and begin using it at many retailers in both cities. ISIS Mobile Wallet will be available on the DROID RAZR HD by Motorola and DROID RAZR MAXX HD by Motorola this week.

Still no word on a nationwide rollout of the service. 

Play Store Links:  Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile

Info:  Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile

Isis™ Launches in Austin And Salt Lake City; as many as 20 Isis Ready™ Handsets to be Available by Year End

AUSTIN, TEXAS and SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – October 22, 2012 – Isis™, the mobile commerce joint venture created by AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, today announced the availability of the Isis Mobile Wallet™ in Austin and Salt Lake City. Starting today, consumers can visit their AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon retail location and select from nine Isis Ready™ handsets, with an expected 11 additional handsets coming to market by year end.

“The launch of the Isis Mobile Wallet in Austin and Salt Lake City represents a milestone for both Isis and the mobile commerce industry,” said Ryan Hughes, chief marketing officer, Isis. “With as many as 20 Isis Ready handsets headed to market by year end, we are experiencing an unprecedented level of support for NFC and consumer choice.”

How to Get Started With the Isis Mobile Wallet on October 22:

1. Visit an AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA or Verizon Wireless retail store in Austin or Salt Lake City to receive a secure element SIM and ensure your handset model is Isis Ready
2. Download the Isis Mobile Wallet application from Google Play
3. Load an eligible American Express, Capital One or Chase credit card into the Isis Mobile Wallet or get started with the Isis Cash™ card that comes in every Wallet.
4. Get out and get tapping at any of the hundreds of locations across Austin and Salt Lake City where contactless payments are accepted, a full list of which can be found at www.paywithisis.com.

“The launch of the Isis Mobile Wallet is an important step toward accelerating mobile payments in the United States and maximizing convenience for consumers” said Bill Gajda, head of mobile product, Visa Inc. “Isis’ open approach directly aligns with Visa’s strategy of enabling consumers to make mobile payments with whatever device they choose using the trusted accounts they already have.”

“MasterCard has been working with industry partners like Isis to turn mobile phones into secure payment devices and create better shopping experiences for both consumers and merchants,” said Mung Ki Woo, group executive, mobile, MasterCard Worldwide. “The use of NFC technology is a path to an improved consumer experience, and the launch of the Isis Mobile Wallet – combined with the growing number of NFC-enabled handsets – will help make mobile commerce a reality for millions of consumers.”

“Today’s launch of the Isis Mobile Wallet is a significant achievement in terms of enabling consumer adoption of mobile payments,” said Suzan Kereere, senior vice president and general manager, American Express, Global Network Business.  “Mobile commerce holds the promise of dramatically enhancing consumers’ shopping experience, and American Express’ first priority as a network is to provide choice and flexibility for all industry participants as we work together to influence the speed and growth of mobile NFC payments in the U.S.”

For more information on specific Isis Ready handsets, please visit an AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA or Verizon Wireless retail location in Austin or Salt Lake City.

About Isis

The joint venture is between AT&T Mobility LLC, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless and is based in New York City. The venture is chartered with building Isis™, a national mobile commerce venture that will fundamentally transform how people shop, pay and save. The Isis™ mobile commerce network will be available to all merchants, banks, payment networks and mobile carriers. ISIS is a trademark of JVL Ventures, LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries.  Other logos, product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Isis Mobile Wallet Goes Live Today in Austin and Salt Lake City – Devices Available From Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T is a post from: Droid Life

It’s official, Isis Mobile Wallet is going live in its first two test markets (Salt Lake City, UT and Austin, TX) on October 22. This matches up to the date that our sources gave us last week, along with a detailed list of additional launch details. What Isis would not confirm, is specific device compatibility, carrier details, or how long they plan to test in these couple of markets.

The head of marketing at Isis, Jaymee Johnson, had this to say:

Isis will be launching in Austin and Salt Lake City on Oct. 22. By year end, as many as 20 Isis Ready handsets are expected to be in market.  We look forward to sharing more details on Oct. 22

So, October 22 is the day that we’ll find out all of the dirty details. Can’t wait.

Official: Isis Mobile Wallet Launching in Test Markets on October 22 is a post from: Droid Life

Google announced back in early September, that the prepaid cards program in Google Wallet was coming to an end and that any remaining balances would be honored via refund (check or prepaid MasterCard). Since the service can only be used at a handful of locations and carriers keep doing their best to block the app from your phone, there is a good chance that many of you have remaining balances left on those cards. I know I do. 

In order to get your money back, you will need to fill out Google’s refund form that we have linked to below. The form asks for your Google Wallet device ID, IMEI, MEID, name, phone number, email, and address. If the Google Wallet app is no longer working on your device or you cannot access it, Google is recommending that you place a “0″ in the Wallet device ID field.

Go get yourself a refund!

Via:  Google Refund | FAQ

Cheers Scott!

Google Wallet Prepaid Refund Form is Live, Be Sure to Get Your Money Back is a post from: Droid Life

The Isis Mobile Wallet app for T-Mobile is now live on Google Play. Rumors across the web are suggesting that T-Mobile is going to launch the mobile payment service on October 22 in two test markets, the same day that our sources said Verizon plans to. The app going live early is a bit surprising though, especially since T-Mobile and Isis haven’t actually announced that the service will go live on the 22nd. 

For now, the app itself is sort of useless. In order to use Isis, you have to have an NFC-SIM card, a supported device, and shop at a retailer that is “Isis Ready.” For T-Mobile, the supported devices will be the Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2, and Amaze 4G, all of which are NFC-equipped. To see the Isis “ready” phones for all carriers, hit up this link.

It shouldn’t be long now. With the app going live, T-Mobile and Isis will likely make an announcement any day.

Play Link

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via:  Mobileburn

Cheers Nick!

T-Mobile’s Isis Mobile Wallet App Appears on Google Play is a post from: Droid Life

Here’s a neat app we just uncovered thanks to a reader submission. It’s called FileBeam and it utilizes our device’s NFC technology to transfer files straight from our Dropbox accounts right to a friend or colleague’s Dropbox account. Once you’ve logged into your Dropbox account through the API, you can then select which file/folder to transfer, then simply tap the two phones together as you normally would, and boom, the file is available on the second device holder’s account. 

If you utilize NFC often on your phone, then give this a shot. And hey, if you weren’t using it much before, maybe this will help you use it more.

Play Link

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cheers Fernando!

FileBeam for Android, Transfer Files From Dropbox to a Friend’s Account With NFC is a post from: Droid Life

Isis, the NFC mobile payment system created by Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, will not launch this summer and has been delayed. The payment system was initially supposed to arrive in testing markets – Salt Lake City and Austin – this month, but because they haven’t checked everything off of their “punch list,” we will have to wait longer.

Their marketing head, Ryan Hughes, said that their focus has been on making sure that when they launch, that they “do it properly and do it right.” He wouldn’t provide a reason for the delay, but did mention that they were not experiencing any major issues.

He also mentioned that he doesn’t believe that Isis will struggle without the new iPhone 5. While that may be true to a point, it certainly would have been much more highly adopted had Apple decided to toss an NFC chip in their newest smartphone.

Additional “market momentum news” is going to come in October. Hopefully we have good news then.

Via:  CNET

Isis Mobile Payment System Delayed, Update on Progress Coming in October is a post from: Droid Life