Motorola and Costa Rica’s UCR Team Highlight NFC Innovations

Motorola announced that NFC (Near Field Communication) is now available in a broader range of its smartphones, turning phones into digital wallets for contactless payments, transport tickets, smart‑accessory connections and other services. The company explained that users simply tap their device to a compatible terminal, a process it says is faster and more seamless than QR‑code payments.

A team from the University of Costa Rica won the sixth SFERA Experience competition with “Güipi‑Guía,” an application that combines NFC, tactile signage, braille and QR codes to help people with visual impairments shop independently. The solution lets users locate products, hear price and expiry information, and manage a digital cart through voice prompts. The final was held in Quito, Ecuador, with teams from across Ibero‑America.