The remake of Total Recall illustrated an interesting concept for the future of communication technology.  People could embed electronic circuitry into their hands and use their palms as smartphones.  Insert your joke here about where they embedded fax machines.  The interesting and relevant cinematic device was the use of external glass surfaces as remote screens, engaged merely by touch.  Now it certainly looked cool and I’m sure we can all agree that at some point transparent substrates and circuitry may permit for clear screens but to me the impact of this idea is more immediate.

I often write about disruption and evolution of technology.  The iWatch is certainly one of the most anticipated new technologies, perhaps more so because of what it could be or become then what it is likely to initially arrive as.  Pebble is a great idea but much like the TI-99 in comparison to the iPad there is certainly a long way for it to go.

Imagine an iWatch that through Bluetooth, NFC or another next gen communication protocol could take over any compatible screen around you.  In the car, it could take over your ultra high res nav screen.  At home it could take over your iTV.  At the office it could take over your computer monitor.  Unlike Total Recall, you won’t need to touch a screen to engage and certainly won’t need a bottle of Windex at hand.   It’s been reported recently that Apple has applied for patents in the area of eye movement and detection.  As I mentioned in a previous article, I see this as core to the evolution of a next gen Google Glass like product.  Imagine if Apple integrates the iWatch with this technology.  Browse TV programming through eye movement on your iTV.  Navigate your computer screen or navigation unit by eye tracking.  Apple has already demonstrated their prowess in hardware and has the ability to disrupt all screen technology.  This cocktail of technologies can easily position the iWatch as the next flexible and wearable computing platform.  What do you think?

New research from Berg Insight indicates that the infrastructure required for expanded NFC mobile wallet services is finally emerging.

There were NFC mobile wallet services commercially live in 13 countries worldwide at the end of Q1-2013, the report notes, which is up from just 6 countries at the end of 2011.

However, these services are still available to a very small number of consumers, Berg explains.

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The 2012 reboot of the sci-fi classic Total Recall illustrated an interesting concept for the future of communication technology. The envisioned future portrayed a time in which people could embed electronic circuitry directly into their hands and use their palms as smartphones.

Insert your joke here about where they embedded fax machines.

What’s truly remarkable, however, is the number of cutting-edge futuristic technologies in Total Recall that actually already exist or are poised to launch in the coming months.

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On Tuesday, word came to light that T-Mobile is working to update the new Galaxy S4 smartphone to run Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean).

As a result, the over-the-air push update will begin reaching owners of the Samsung flagship smartphone today.

Along with the update comes support for Isis, the NFC-based mobile wallet solution also brought to life by the concerted efforts of Verizon and AT&T.

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USA Technologies, Inc. – an established powerhouse in wireless, cashless payment and M2M telemetry solutions – is launching what the company believes is the largest mobile payment and loyalty program for the U.S. vending industry.

The announcement came this week at the NAMA OneShow in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to USAT, loyalty programs can help drive traffic, repeat business and brand loyalty.

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According to published reports Tuesday, NFC mobile payment solutions are being tested at a McDonald’s in Canada.

The Interac Association payments and debit card services network says its Interac Flash contactless solution has been added to selected Interac Debit cards to offer users tap-to-pay functionality.

Thanks to the company’s partnership with RBC Royal Bank, they’ve integrated the aforementioned technology into BlackBerry smartphones via an app. As a result, an NFC payments trial taking place as we speak at a McDonald’s restaurant in Canada.

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More than 500 million NFC-ready mobile phones will enter the market in 2014, giving major widespread accessibility to near Field Communications Technology.

According to ABI Research, the jump to 500 million NFC devices nearly doubles the estimated 285 million NFC phones shipping in 2013.

“NFC has reached the point of no return,” explains John Devlin, ABI’s practice director. “It all hinged on handsets; and next year we will see half a billion devices in the hands of consumers as [NFC] becomes more widely integrated. Up until this point banks and other service partners were holding back from committing to [mobile network operators] and it has always surprised me that they did not drive this forward themselves and invest to take charge of this market’s potential.”

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