NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

Now that a lot of us (non fruity phone owners) have NFC chip built in I thought I would start discussing the things that can be done with NFC.

NFC, as I’m sure all of you know, stands for Near Field Communication. Its a little more functional than RFID but a lot less range, typically less than an inch. The more common usage that’s being popularized is to make electronic payments using Google Wallet (on Android phones). Samsung has also made it possible to transfer files, such as pictures and videos.

There are also some non-financial tasks that can be done using little “TecTiles” (more on that later).
Some of the things that can be done:

Change Phone Settings: Make a tag to set your phone up the way you like it when you get to work, or when you get in your car. You can even set an alarm time for a bedside tag. You can set individual settings, or combine settings to optimize your phone for your location – at home, at work, in the car, or other places.

Launch an App: Make a tag to launch any app you have on your phone. You can even set music volume for music players or internet radio applications.

Join a WiFi Network: Make a tag that will connect a phone to your WiFi network. Great for visitors to scan when they arrive!

**Show a Message: **Make a tag that shows a message to whoever scans it.

Make a Call: Make a tag that’ll bring up the phone ready to make a call to the number you choose. This is the ‘Call Mom’ tag.

Send a Text Message: Make a tag that’ll send an SMS to the number you choose. This is the ‘Honey, I’m Home’ tag.

Share a Contact: Make a tag that shares a contact’s details. Great as a way to exchange business cards.

Update Facebook Status: Make a tag that updates the Facebook status of the reader.

Facebook Like: Make a tag so the reader can Like the link you supply.

Tweet a Status: Make a tag which will tweet the message you choose.

Follow a Twitter User: Make a tag which will let the reader follow the Twitter user you choose.

What else?

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

TecTiles are programmable NFC tags. They are available on Ebay, 5 or US$15 is the best price i saw.
Here are 3 of them:

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

fainting

I had no idea NFC could do all of that.

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

Is there a way to disable this feature? sometimes, i want to be in certain places but not do the things i am supposed to do when i am there. Can tags placed in multiple locations be used to monitor my movements, say in a building?

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

The NFC chip on the phone can be turned off till you need it. Is that what you meant?
The tags don't really have any functionality except provide certain information, sorta like a glorified QR codes, just a bit more responsive.

NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

I thought this thread would be about football :sid:

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

Long live AFC!

Refer to my avatar :blush:

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

You still haven’t bought the S3, have you now khatti? :mad: What’s with the khashmakash?

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

Ok so the tags are just meant to be read by my phone?My phone reads it only if i want it to? Is there any data sent over from my phone to these devices? If you can make make phones act in a certain way when they are in certain locations, can a NFC phone and some other cheap infrastructure be used to track people's location?I sure as hell don't want companies tracking me using their company provided phones.

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

Once she get the S3 she won’t be Khatti anymore. She’d be Mitthi! :wink:

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

You carry a phone just means you're already tracked. Forget about all the other technologies.
But yes, you can turn on an off various radios at your convenience, e.g. NFC, BlueTooth, Wifi etc. Originally those devices are supposed to be very short range and can't be tracked. But in practice people have deviced ways to extend their ranges. With NFC being an inch or shorter in range, even if extended it can go maximum upto 4 inches. So as long as you are out of arms' length you are safe.

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

^^ AAAH, well, we will give her a new nick then, MitthiChic. That's sounds yummier, tho less Hyderabadi for sure (:D)!

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

Wait, I don't believe i can be location tracked to a particular room in a particular building with cheap feasible existing technology. This 4 inches thing sounds good, but i still don't trust this technology.

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

You never saw any spy movies where they don't wanna get tracked? What's the first thing they throw away or smash? Their CELL PHONE!!!

If your low powerd, cheap cell phone can receive a signal, it can be tracked. Believe me.

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

Lol.. I am no spy. Tracking is possible, but not feasible for the ordinary people in my world. I just don't want tracking technology to become cheap and easy so that every tom dick and harry puts up infrastructure to track my movements.

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

Edited

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

hahahaha how about dem cowboys? gotta find a replacement for romo. Dez bryant c’mon man. Catch the freaking ball. packers fan here and loving it.

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

Why would any random person want to track YOU anyway? This may be useful for parents. I'd like to be able to track my kids.

Re: NFC Thread - Discuss technology and usage

^^It is similar to why people want to track you on the web. It is just that this time your phone and by extension the physical you can be tracked cheaply and easily, instead of a packet of information from your pc/account. You can use the same reasons and justifications that are used on the web. All you need is a phone and a tag that will ask for some unique phone id, location id from the tag and some stored info from your phone to be sent to some server app every time you are physically in certain locations.

Anyway after watching some youtube videos i realized that these tags are passive and need to power up using your phone, so staying away from the visible tags should prevent a lot of potential problems, as of now.

And i heard that kids are being tracked in some texas school using rfid.