David W Higgins: Self-driving cars on roads abroad, yet we in Ireland can’t even tap banks cards to pay bus fareEU countries in danger of being left behind, while other world powers forge ahead with transport automationA Waymo self-driving car with roof-mounted sensors at an intersection in San Francisco, California. Photo: GettyDavid W Higgins Yesterday at 06:30In 1983, Charles Walton patented a technology for proximity identification. Little did he expect that by 2002, it would be adopted as the standard we know today as NFC (near-field communication).

Source: Irish Independent February 12, 2026 17:32 UTC