"the new Apple-certifed technology combines a protective iPhone case with a secure memory card that will host Visa's contactless payment application, Visa payWave."<p>So, it's exactly like the payWave technology already integrated in my Visa card, except I have to put a stupid case around my iPhone.<p>Sounds like buzzword-itis.<p>I've had payWave in my card for over a year, and I've never even seen an opportunity to use it. The social interaction with the cashier is just too weird. It's already bad enough with debit cards ("do I swipe? do you swipe? do you take the card from me and swipe it for me, making me feel like an idiot?")
The problem with NFC is that it offers no real additional benefit. The card industry thinks that it's more convenient, but swiping a card through a card reader really isn't all that difficult to start with.<p>We're working on this:<p><a href="http://www.facecash.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.facecash.com</a><p>No extra hardware for your phone required, it's cheaper for merchants, it offers more information than cards, and it will work on Android and BlackBerry in addition to iPhone.
<i>Want to pay for purchases by waving your iPhone in front of a payment terminal at checkout?</i><p>Want to advertise that you own an expensive gadget which is also primed with cash, instead of using a plastic card? No, of course I don't, what a silly question.
I don't think the iPhone can launch apps. Visa may be able to. Well actually, I guess the iPhone technically launches the app after Visa has introduced it. </pedantic>