Sprint Nextel has announced that it will make NFC a standard feature on Long Term Evolution (LTE) smart phones, reports Light Reading Mobile.

Sprint, a launch partner of Google Wallet, told LR Mobile that they will include NFC chips in all LTE smart phones, excluding free phones and low end models, in order to “aggressively promote contactless technology.” 

Salt Lake City-based Cirque demonstrated a prototype of its NFC-enabled GlidePoint computer track pad at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to Engadget.

The GlidePoint NFC track pad, which can be built directly into a laptop or attached as a separate unit via USB port, features a built-in NFC antenna that can receive data from mobile devices, NFC-enabled tags or business cards, and other NFC devices with a simple tap. 

la Caixa and Visa Europe have begun rolling out their contactless payment system in Barcelona. The bank is set to make all cards and point-of-sale across Barcelona contactless, requiring the distribution of 1 million cards and more than 15,000 new POS terminals.

The first cards are expected to go into circulation as early as January, together with the new contactless POS and ATMs. The aim is to have at least one contactless ATM at every Barcelona branch before the end of 2012. 

Broadcom announced the release of a new chip that will enable handset makers to offer smart phones with 3G, GPS and NFC for only $100.

In addition to Broadcom’s “InConcert connectivity suite,” the BCM21552G baseband features a 1 GHz ARM11 processor, support for an 8 megapixel camera and WVGA screen support, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi 802.11n, FM radio and native support for dual SIM. 

Apriva, a provider of secure information and wireless transaction solutions, announced that its Apriva Wallet mobile commerce platform is now available to through the company’s nationwide network of merchants.

Apriva Wallet can be used for a number of services on iPhone and Android handsets, including transactions at the point of sale, free loyalty programs for customers and merchants, coupons, ticket purchase and secure storage of driver licenses, ID cards, health care information, passports, and other cards that a consumer would normally carry in a physical wallet. 

The point-of-sale terminal has entered a period of dramatic change, according to the latest report release by the Mercator Advisory Group. And the next few years in the industry promise to be a period of even greater change and development than the last.

In the report, entitled “POS Terminals: On the Cusp of Change,” Mercator touches on the developments regarding capabilities of the terminal, including EMV, NFC and non-payment capabilities such as loyalty. 

Think&Go NFC, a French provider of mobile retail solutions, has announced the creation of an NFC-enabled Home Shopping system.

Designed to streamline the reordering of common consumer goods, the Home Shopping solution consists of a mobile app, a “Home Shopping board” and a Web site where consumers preferred services can be configured.