Android Apps Appear to Make Use of NFC
We just got the news that the Google Nexus S with Android 2.3 would support Near-Field Communication we’ve seen news that developers have already jumped on the bandwagon and produced the first NFC applications. According to the aptly named Near Field Communications World blog, they these first two apps are named Taglet and EnableTable—a Japanese NFC tag reader and information app, and a US-developed app that accepts restaurant discount vouchers, respectively.
The first is Taglet, a Japanese language NFC tag reader and information sharing app that gets round Gingerbread’s read-only limitation by allowing the user to associate data with an existing tag and hold it in an online database. When that tag is subsequently read, Taglet retrieves the stored action — a URL, Twitter handle or other data — from the cloud and acts on it. Taglet is compatible with FeliCa, Mifare and full NFC tags.
The second is EnableTable, a US-developed app that lets restaurants issue discount vouchers to customers when they settle their bill in order to drive repeat business.
NFC is such an amazing technology with a myriad of uses and these two apps are just the tip of the iceberg. The ability to read tags and share information is the beginning of handing out virtual business cards (something done with Bluetooth already but why not bring it to NFC) and restaurants giving out discount vouchers would be excellent advertising.
It’s time for the first financial transaction apps to take advantage of this. At the end of the meal, the bill appears on the recipients phone (or at least the offer to accept it) and the ability to split it up, and accept and pay for it.
Perfect.
Let’s get cracking, developers!
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