Comprehensive Guide To NFC & What The Future Holds: Part 1
NFC is on it’s way. If you have not heard of this technology you will soon, and even if you don’t know the ins and outs of NFC you will be using it everyday in the future. Just think of your mobile phone as your wallet, yes your wallet.
This is not just something out of the Minority Report, but very real technology that will become part and parcel of mobile phones soon. Our friends at Android News have done a great two part guide to NFC technology. Experts in all things Android they give us a clear breakdown of NFC. Read the intro to part one below….
Near field communication is coming to the mainstream and it’s coming soon. Google have already implemented it within their flagship handset the Google Nexus S, other handsets on Android will be implementing them from Q3 onwards and the other mobile platforms will follow suit no doubt. The move into NFC being among all handsets will open up all sorts of doors for us users in applications, payment options at point of sale and more. What do we face ahead of us in our new payment option and connection gateway, here we will take a look at NFC in this two-part guide.
What exactly is NFC?
Near Field Communication or NFC for short, allows for simplified transactions, data exchange and connections with touch. Formed in 2004, NFC is a form of short-range communication that wirelessly exchanges data between a reader (such as in our case a Smartphone) and a target (such as a reader or a chip that is embedded within an object).
Just like RFID, Near Field Communication is a very stretchable and versatile technology, no way is it limited to mobile phones either. Some of the things NFC can be used for are – Advertising – such as downloading content or information from coupons, posters, or digital signs and of course contactless payment. NFC can also give you access to secure places like office buildings with a NFC lock if enabled. People with NFC supported mobile phones would be able to pass messages across to each other in the secure environment.
NFC Landmarks
• 1983 The first patent to be associated with the abbreviation RFID was granted to Charles Walton.
• 2006 Nokia 6131 is the first NFC phone
• 2009 In January, NFC releases Peer-to-Peer Standards to transfer contact, URL, initiate Bluetooth, etc.
• 2011 Google I/O “How to NFC” demonstrates NFC to start a game and to share ,app, video and more.
• Electronic business card: Tap one NFC device to another to instantly share electronic business cards or resumes.
• Electronic money: To pay a friend, you could tap the devices and enter the amount of the payment.
• Friend-to-friend: You could touch NFC devices together to Facebook friend each other.