NFC(Near-field Communication)

Had been working on QR codes earlier.However, someone told us that QR code is outdated(Maybe in foreign countries!Not India!!).The same person suggested that we use NFC technology paired with QR codes to continue spice the project..!So well, this is whatever I have learned about NFC technology(Courtesy:GOOGLE)..:)

Google is incorporating near-field communication (NFC) capability into the Android platform. Apple is widely rumoured to be planning for the same in the next version of the iPhone.

Near field communication, or NFC, allow for simplified transactions, data exchange, and connections with a touch.A smartphone or tablet with an NFC chip could make a credit card payment or serve as keycard or ID card.NFC devices can read NFC tags on a museum or retail display to get more information or an audio or video presentation. NFC can share a contact, photo, song, application, or video or pair Bluetooth devices.All that is required is a chip to do wonders!!

 

NFC operates at slower speeds than Bluetooth, but consumes far less power and doesn’t require pairing.However, NFC offers no protection against eavesdropping and can be vulnerable to data modifications.  Ensuring security for NFC data will require the cooperation of multiple parties who will need to safeguard NFC-enabled phones with strong encryption protocols.

Here are some of the uses of NFC-----------

1)Social networking-

By using NFC we can share files,facebook friend each other,check in at a location,instantly share business cards just by tapping one NFC device to another!!As simple as that!

2)Bluetooth wifi connections

Instant Bluetooth Pairing can save searching, waiting, and entering codes. Touch the NFC devices together for instant pairing.
Instant WiFi Configuration can configure a device to a WiFi network automatically. Tap an NFC device to an NFC enabled router.








3)eCommerce

An NFC device may make a payment like a credit card by touching a payment terminal at checkout or a vending machine when a PIN is entered.Google Wallet is an Android app that stores virtual versions of your credit cards for use at checkout when a PIN is used.A NFC device may also act as a boarding pass, reducing check-in delays and staffing requirements. Tapping an NFC tag on a retail display or SmartPoster may give the user a coupon for the product.




4)Identity documents

An NFC enabled device can also act as an encrypted student, employee, or personal ID card or medical ID card.An NFC enabled device may serve as car, house, and office keys. NFC rental car or hotel room keys will allow fast VIP check-in and reduce staffing requirements.

How it works------

NFC is a set of short-range wireless technologies, typically requiring a distance of 4 cm or less. NFC always involves an initiator and a target; the initiator actively generates an RF field that can power a passive target. This enables NFC targets to take very simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs, or cards that do not require batteries.Near-field communication uses magnetic induction between two loop antennas located within each other's near field, effectively forming an air-core transformer.

 

 .I know this might have sounded rather geeky to some of you,but for those people with a thirst for knowledge.....Hope you liked it..:)