Office Depot has joined Home Depot as the second U.S. retailer to test PayPal’s point of sale payments solution, according to TG Daily.

Customers at select Office Depot stores can now make payments directly from their PayPal balance by simply punching in their mobile phone number and PayPal PIN. The solution requires only a software update at the point of sale for the merchant, and customers do not need to use a payment card, contactless fob or NFC-enabled phone to make a transaction. 

OpenWays has announced the launch of its “Mobile Key Dual with Pure NFC” hotel check-in and room access solution at Nordic Choice Hotels in Stockholm, Sweden.

Developed in partnership with Nokia and NXP, the solution enables hotel guests to use their mobile phones to check in remotely to their hotel and open the the door to their room via NFC. 

GlobalPlatform announced that it will hold a two-day card specification training session March 1-2 at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

Directly preceding CARTES North America 2012 (March 5-7, Las Vegas), the training session will aim to educate CARTES delegates and other participants on the importance of GlobalPlatform Specifications, their capabilities and functionality. 

The John Natsoulas Center for the Arts in Davis, Calif. is using NFC technology to provide resident with a unique art viewing experience.

The JNCA has teamed up with XtremeSignPost founder Monto H. Kumagai to embed sculptures from renowned artist Finely Fryer with NFC tags. On Feb. 17, ten of these sculptures will be unveiled throughout downtown Davis, enabling residents with NFC-enabled phones to receive audio information about each work of art with a simple tap. 

Leaked images of LG’s prototype X3 smart phone have surfaced, showing that the company plans to enter the Quad-Core and NFC markets soon, according to Gadget Help.

The X3 is expected to sport a Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad-Core processor, 4.7-inch 720p HD screen, 16GB of internal storage with Micro SD slot, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity. 

Canadian start-up ZapTap has developed a new in-store solution that uses NFC tags to share product information with customers, according to Techvibes.

The ZapTap 360 platform enables merchants to put NFC tags containing information about given products on store shelves, enabling NFC phone users with a ZapTap app to receive product information, coupons and customer reviews with a simple tap. 

SITA, an IT provider for the air travel industry, has unveiled its first proof-of-concept for a solution that enables travelers to check in at the airport, gain access to members’ lounges and board their flight all with a simple tap of an NFC-enabled phone.

SITA Lab, the technology research arm of SITA, has developed the solution alongside Orange Business Services is a joint innovation program. Together, the partners have demonstrated that boarding passes and access credentials can be successfully stored on an NFC-enabled SIM card via a Trusted Service Manager (TSM) for a quicker and easier way to get through the airport.