Nokia’s RFID Bus pass
I mentioned the Nokia 3220 RFID-enabled phone recently, and gave a few examples of applications of the device. But it seems the Finns had beaten me to it - not just thinking about what to use it for, but actually using it in a variety of situations.
This, for example, is Buscom's concept: the Nokia RFID Bus Pass. The idea is you use your RFID-enabled Nokia 3220 phone to pay for travel on the bus. You simply charge your mobile phone with travel credit beforehand, then swipe it across the RFID reader on the bus, and you're away.
Read more about the RFID Nokia bus pass after the jump
[Source: RFID journal]
Nokia 3220 RFID Bus pass
The RFID phone is better than smart cards used on some buses or on underground trains, because you can use the mobile phone's Internet connection to download extra credits. In addition, the phone has its own processing capabilities, so you can use applications that keep track of how much you're spending on transport, or filing different journies under different categories ('expenses', for example).
Only available in the Finnish city of Oulu at the moment, but doubtless soon to catch on within the next few years as RFID-reading mobile phones become more pervasive. This really could be the start of something big.
