For mobile payments to really take off, the functionality needs to be available to far more than merely the latest devices. For this reason, the SD Association, a non-profit that sets memory card standards, is pushing a means to use microSD cards to make otherwise incompatible devices compatible.

The SD association calls this technology smartSD. The technology apparently enables a secure element for Host Card Emulation, a necessary step for creating digital copies of payment cards the way we've seen in Google Wallet and Android Pay. SmartSD uses a device's native NFC, removing the need to embed such technology into the card directly. It can also make a microSD card serve as a FIDO authentication token.

Mobile payments aren't the only target. The SD Association wants microSD better utilized in so-called Internet of Things devices. The card can supposedly provide a secure token and secure storage.

Right now the SD Association is trying to attract partners and mind share, so this isn't yet something you can simply go buy. For now it's showing off the technology at Mobile World Congress, but there is also plenty of reading material available on the association's website.

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