Skip to main content

NFC update expands on mobile sharing technology

nfc
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Announced by the NFC Forum this week, near field communication technology got an upgrade in the form of device to device communication. Before this upgrade, the existing form of NFC utilizes an active device and a passive device, ideal for transactions like checking out in line at the grocery store. For instance, credit card information is stored on a smartphone and offered up to a store’s checkout terminal when asked. The upgrade to the technology (Simple NDEF Exchange Protocol) allows devices to communicate back and forth actively. This would allow a wider range of actions to be built into applications beyond simply utilizing the technology when purchasing items.

mobile-phone-with-credit-card3For instance, a NFC-equipped high definition television or computer monitor could communicate with a NFC-equipped smartphone and allow the user to watch a recently recorded video on the larger screen. This technology can also be applied to other applications such as games. A user may have to communicate with another NFC-equipped phone to unlock the next level in Angry Birds. Business contacts could use NFC-equipped smartphones to trade contact info without having to bump the phones together. This technology would also create a happy communication medium between different types of smartphones. For example, Android and Apple phones could potentially communicate through NFC.

While this type of technology is already in place with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections, this upgrade simply offers another reason for smartphone manufacturers to include NFC technology in new versions. Motorola, HTC, Samsung, LG, RIM and Sony Ericsson have already agreed to install NFC-capable microSD cards in new smartphones starting next year. Mobile carriers Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are also on board with NFC as well as payment providers Visa, American Express, MasterCard and Discover. However, mobile payment company Square has already got a jump on the market destined for NFC technology and company officials don’t believe that retailers are interested in implementing this new technology in stores.

Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more