Public transport operator Stagecoach Group has launched a trial of NFC bus tickets in partnership with Everything Everywhere. It’s enabling some customers on the Stagecoach bus network in Cambridgeshire to use their Orange ‘Quick Tap’ NFC phones as tickets.

The scheme uses the Department of Transport’s preferred ITSO ticketing technology and is described as the UK’s first Government-standard commercial deployment of mobile contactless transport ticketing.

The mysterious “Samsung Olympic and Paralympic Games mobile phone” announced last year is going to be a Samsung Galaxy SIII loaded with a Visa PayWave application for NFC payments, according to a statement released today.

Payments will be handled by Lloyds TSB.

Mark Bridge writes:

It's a hard life being an early adopter. Last week in London I walked past a bus shelter that displayed a sequence of posters. Next to the changing display panel was a blue NFC logo.

“For advertiser links and travel information touch your NFC enabled phone above”

MasterCard Worldwide has certified more NFC-equipped smartphones for use with MasterCard PayPass contactless payment technology.

The new devices include the BlackBerry Bold 9900 & 9790, BlackBerry Curve 9360 & 9380, HTC One X, LG Optimus Elite, Nokia 603, Samsung Wave Y, Sony Xperia S and Sony Xperia P.

Samsung Electronics has announced the GALAXY S III, the third generation of its flagship Android smartphone.

The Samsung GALAXY S III runs Android v4.0 and is equipped with a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display (1280 x 720 pixel) and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera plus a 1.9 megapixel front camera and NFC connectivity.