英国推出购物手表可支付15英镑以下商品(图)

　　Today sees the UK launch of a range of hi-tech watches that can pay for a double-shot espresso, a newspaper or a host of other small purchases with a flick of the wrist.

　　They contain a chip similar to a mobile phone's SIM card that allows you to settle up by tapping the watch on a special terminal at the till.

　　The "watch2pay" gadgets follow the successful introduction of Quick Tap, a similar system that allows payments using mobile phones, earlier this year.

　　Available in eight colours, the watches cost ￡99 and can be used at 70,000 shops in the UK, including chains such as Pret A Manger, Subway, and McDonald's, as well as various independent cafes and newsagents.

　　Rather than debiting your bank account, they can only spend the money you have topped it up with online – and if the watch is lost or stolen, your account can be cancelled on the phone or over the web.

　　At first they will only be able to make payments of up to ￡15, but this limit may be extended depending on their popularity.

　　A spokesman said: "We think it will be popular because it takes out the fumble factor – you don't have to rummage through your pockets to find it."

　　Some experts believe that cash could become obsolete within a few years, as so-called "tap and go" technology becomes more widespread and more people use their phones to make purchases, leaving their notes and coins behind.

　　据英国《每日邮报》11月29日报道，英国推出了一系列高科技手表，只需动动手腕，即可用它购买一杯双份意式浓缩咖啡，一份报纸或是其他许多小件商品。

　　这种手表中的芯片与手机的SIM卡类似，只需要在收银台的一种特殊终端上触碰一下手表，就可以结账了。

　　这种叫做“watch2pay”的小装置效仿了Quick Tap(快速点击)的成功引进，Quick Tap是一种类似的系统，今年早些时候推出，可以让用户使用手机结账。

　　这一系列手表共有八种颜色可供选择，售价为99英镑，可以在英国七万家商店使用，包括一些大型连锁店，比如百特文治，赛百味和麦当劳，以及许多独立经营的咖啡馆和报刊经销点。

　　用这种手表付账时，并不是从你的银行账户扣费，而是消耗你在网上给手表充的值——如果手表丢失或者被盗，你可以打电话或者上网注销账户。

　　目前这款手表最高只能支付15英镑的商品，但相信随着它的日渐流行，这一限额将会被提高。

　　相关发言人表示：“我们认为它会流行起来的，因为它避免了胡乱摸索——你根本不需要在口袋中到处翻找。”

　　一些专家认为，未来几年内现金可能会过时，所谓的“点即通”科技则会使用得更加广泛，越来越多的人选择使用手机购物，而纸币和硬币却被抛诸脑后。