The soccer ball presented as a gift to US President Donald Trump from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during the Helsinki summit contains a chip capable of transmitting information to nearby cell phones, Bloomberg reports.
The media outlet notes however that the chip in question isn’t some kind of high-tech gadget but a new feature of the Adidas AG ball: an near-field communication tag which "allows fans to access player videos, competitions and other content by bringing their mobile devices close to the ball."
The Hill also points out that the ball underwent a security screening by the US Secret Service, as is customary for all the gifts given to US president.
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On July 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump met in Helsinki during a one-on-one summit dedicated to a number of pressing issues, including alleged Russian meddling in the US presidential vote, Syria, gas supplies to Europe and the Iranian nuclear deal.
During the meeting, Trump congratulated his Russian counterpart for hosting “one of the best” FIFA World Cups ever, while Putin presented the US president with a symbolic gift, a soccer ball, jokingly remarking that “now the ball is in your court.”