In my other thread, I mentioned that I would be buying a android phone with NFC, and I was just wondering how do you use NFC, does it make your life easier (and awesomer), and if there is some sort of NFC reader you can use in a Mac.
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Thoughts on NFC
- Thread starter PajamaPants
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I think it's great. I have a few NFC tags that I use to toggle certain settings on my phone - have one in the car for Bluetooth, one at the office to silence my phone, etc. It's probably not something that I'd consider a deciding factor when choosing a phone, but it is definitely cool.
NFCs are like SSDs and right to own firearms. Most people think they won't need them. Forcibly take them away and they'd change their opinions in a hurry.
For me is a meh simply because we lack the opportunity to use it here for payments and such......
I do have a Sony SBh20 headset, which when first using it syncs via NFC speeding up the whole process, after that its just Bluetooth so don't need the NFC after first usage.
I do have a Sony SBh20 headset, which when first using it syncs via NFC speeding up the whole process, after that its just Bluetooth so don't need the NFC after first usage.
NFC just hasn't caught on yet like it has in Asian countries like Japan. Once it does, it will be awesome.
Most of the things you can do with NFC, you can do with Tasker. My current phone doesn't support NFC, so I don't have a use for it either. My debit card has the tapper thing built in too, so it's not like I'm missing it for payment usage either.
I would think having a NFC sensor on at all times would be just as bad as having GPS going off 24/7 too.
I would think having a NFC sensor on at all times would be just as bad as having GPS going off 24/7 too.
NFC doesn't work like that. It remains off, until the phone is on and unlocked (custom ROMs can change the settings slightly though). Once the phone is on and unlocked, NFC uses 0.5% of the battery. You won't even notice it and isn't worth turning off.
I think people here in the US just don't realize how many places support NFC because they don't have it.
For crying out loud the soda machine at my work supports NFC.
There's also places like:
Best Buy
WallGreens
McDonalds
GAP
Foot Locker
Old Navy
Home Depot
Tons of gas stations
Wawa
CVS
7-11
And many more, those are just off the top of my head.
Its unlikely you don't go into a least one place a week that supports it. Those of us that live in more urban areas I'd say multiple times a day.
For crying out loud the soda machine at my work supports NFC.
There's also places like:
Best Buy
WallGreens
McDonalds
GAP
Foot Locker
Old Navy
Home Depot
Tons of gas stations
Wawa
CVS
7-11
And many more, those are just off the top of my head.
Its unlikely you don't go into a least one place a week that supports it. Those of us that live in more urban areas I'd say multiple times a day.
I used it once at a machine and it charged me twice. Never again will I buy a drink from a vending machine using those nfc machines.
I used to use nfc tags to toggle on wifi and data for my phone and tablet but it just seems faster using the notification bar.
I used to use nfc tags to toggle on wifi and data for my phone and tablet but it just seems faster using the notification bar.
In addition to what Cynics said, places like San Francisco allow you to pay for parking meters with it (and set an alarm reminder for when your time is about to expire), electric vehicle plugin charge points take it, and as Cynics said, all sorts of automated machines take it (soda machines, mobile electron machines, etc).
Did you have feeling that was going to happen? Similar to the feeling I've had using a credit card and find out I was charged twice (that happened to me the other day at a 7-11, it was 2 bucks so I didn't bother).
I'd like to use it for payments but as AT&T locks down their devices, I'm unable to use Google Wallet to pay via NFC. I also set up NFC chips to manage settings but haven't used them in months--just not much of a time saver, novelty wears off quickly.
I had a Nexus S 4G for two years with NFC. It was pretty neat, but it felt like it was trying to solve a problem I didn't have; it merely duplicated existing features with no added benefit. It's only an alternative way of doing things.
For payments:
If I'm already reaching into my pocket, I might as well get out my credit card. This is likely to improve, but Google Wallet didn't work nearly 1/4 of the time. Finally, until the majority of places accept NFC, I still need to carry around my credit card. NFC isn't more secure either; someone with a really high gain directional antenna can spy on the data transfer.
For automation:
Before using NFC, I had used a few apps that automaticaly adjusted settings based on my GPS location, time of day, day of the week, charging status, and headphones cord status. I later tried NFC for this. Later I decided both solutions are silly, I shouldn't have to fiddle with minor things like bluetooth settings so often. NFC isn't any better than intelligent tasker apps.
For data sharing:
NFC is pretty cool for sharing your wifi password, a phone number, or a url. This might be the only feature that does have some value-added over the alternative: QR codes. However, this entire niche seems to be slowly dieing; I see less and less QR codes. Putting up a piece of paper on the frig with the wifi password is an even easier way of sharing it. New wireless sharing ideas are making sharing phone numbers and URLs even easier (airplay for example). Again, NFC is an alternative, but a mediocre one at best.
One of the largest draw backs of NFC is that it can only pass a very small amount of data. Depending on the type of tag, you can only store 41-132 characters. That's enough for a URL, or a code, or something similar. Thus, it's useless for doing anything offline. (try tapping Galaxy phones to share a playlist when one of the phones is without a data connection). But, if both parties have a data connection, then there are even easier ways to share the data (IM for example), NFC is pretty moot then, just a cool gimmick.
For payments:
If I'm already reaching into my pocket, I might as well get out my credit card. This is likely to improve, but Google Wallet didn't work nearly 1/4 of the time. Finally, until the majority of places accept NFC, I still need to carry around my credit card. NFC isn't more secure either; someone with a really high gain directional antenna can spy on the data transfer.
For automation:
Before using NFC, I had used a few apps that automaticaly adjusted settings based on my GPS location, time of day, day of the week, charging status, and headphones cord status. I later tried NFC for this. Later I decided both solutions are silly, I shouldn't have to fiddle with minor things like bluetooth settings so often. NFC isn't any better than intelligent tasker apps.
For data sharing:
NFC is pretty cool for sharing your wifi password, a phone number, or a url. This might be the only feature that does have some value-added over the alternative: QR codes. However, this entire niche seems to be slowly dieing; I see less and less QR codes. Putting up a piece of paper on the frig with the wifi password is an even easier way of sharing it. New wireless sharing ideas are making sharing phone numbers and URLs even easier (airplay for example). Again, NFC is an alternative, but a mediocre one at best.
One of the largest draw backs of NFC is that it can only pass a very small amount of data. Depending on the type of tag, you can only store 41-132 characters. That's enough for a URL, or a code, or something similar. Thus, it's useless for doing anything offline. (try tapping Galaxy phones to share a playlist when one of the phones is without a data connection). But, if both parties have a data connection, then there are even easier ways to share the data (IM for example), NFC is pretty moot then, just a cool gimmick.
Well, here in Portugal I only know one fast food chain accepting it... And I don't go there that often, I will just buy some tags for ten bucks and try it, probably after a month I will have already forgotten them...
It's over-rated technology to me. I had an NFC keyring for a gas station years and years ago (before Android phones) and it pretty useless. With almost every single person with a bank account having a debit card, NFC has years and years and years to go before replacing the debit card. And a debit card doesn't have a battery that NFC will drain.
The only way I see mobile payments via NFC becoming a big thing here in the states is if Apple adopts the technology into their devices. And I'm seriously serious here.
Totally agree. It is useless. I have to have my phone on to use it and a widget is just as effective. The "tags" are silly b.c leaving things like bluetooth and wifi on all day do not have a big effect on battery. I am sure there is a very small group of people who use it, but overall it is not going anywhere. Personally, I think apps that use geocentric technology are much better. I do not even have to take the phone out of my pocket and it does what I want.....a perfect example is the phillips hue light app.
With Visa and MC pushing the EMV Mandate protocol, forcing all merchants accept NFC payments in the near future, it will become valuable.
Until then, its a gimmick and little more.
Until then, its a gimmick and little more.
