Software and technology

Contactless chip technology provider Inside Contactless is making its Open NFC commercial-grade NFC protocol stack available in a free and open source edition.

Jagtag claims that its 2D bar codes now work on every camera phone in the United States, delivering optimized multimedia content to both smartphones and standard feature devices.

Artificial Life Inc. has launched its Opus-M product, a modular, carrier-grade mobile commerce platform for business customers, content providers and consumers.

With mobile commerce expected to blow up in 2010, Google’s new Nexus One handset may be the company’s first step in becoming a leader in that niche of the mobile industry.

With high-end smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone, the Palm Pre, RIM’s BlackBerry, Motorola Droid and Google’s Android devices creating buzz among consumers, retailers are expecting a surge in handset revenue in 2010.

3GVision has partnered with Connecthings to extend the use and compatibility of 2D bar code reading technology to most mobile phone models in France.

Hexaware Technologies Ltd. has launched a new service to let airline passengers download 2D bar code boarding passes to their mobile devices.

Retail giant Sears Holdings Corp.—which includes Sears and Kmart—is tapping IBM’s software to deliver a personalized and more interactive shopping experience for the exploding population of mobile users worldwide.

Neustar has partnered with NeoMedia Technologies Inc. to act as its licensing agent for 2D bar codes in the United States, making the mobile technology more accessible for brands trying to reach consumers on their handsets.

Google Product Search for Android now has the ability to scan bar codes, changing the way that consumers can shop.