One of my favourite things about London is my Oyster card. I think it is a wonderful use of technology. I get some strange satisfaction from touching my card off a reader and having the ticket gates swing open for me. NFC stands for Near Field Communication and is a technology that allows a transfer of data via a physical touch. It is fascinating to me that NFC isn’t incorporated into more tech these days. I want that to change. I have hopes that it will. Thankfully there are steps being taken by companies to ensure this happens.
Google are leading the charge of big companies embracing the technology. Most importantly, NFC technology is something we are going to find a part of a large number of Android phones in the near future. The big G are using this technology for Google Wallet, an electronic payment system. Here in the UK, my Barclay Card has similar NFC tech which they call contactless technology. You simply hold your card near a reader and a purchase is made. This is absolute magic to my eyes. Having to type in your pin when paying with your card is extremely laborious, but with the power of NFC – it’s all done in one swipe.
So Google is using NFC in their phones for payments with Google wallet. But what else? Engadget recently posted a news item about NFC being available in the new Google+ App. Allowing a user to share something on their Google+ profile with a swipe of their Android handset. This is one way I can see Google kicking facebook to the curb.
What a wonderful world it would be if you could check-in at your local pub by tapping a NFC tag next to the door as you walk and order a pint. Suppose you make a new friend at the pub? Tap your phones together to immediately add each other on Google+, no taking mental note of each other’s first and last name spelling to remember and search through lists the following morning. Put in the hands of some creative folks with developing skills, NFC and Google+ could do very well for themselves.
However all this wishful thinking comes with a big worry for this blogger. I’m an iPhone kind of guy. With the iPhone 5 on the horizon, the question must be asked; will the new iPhone have NFC tech built in? I really want this dream to come true but many signs point to no. Apple doesn’t tend to be the first out of the gate with new technology, and NFC doesn’t appear to be up to scratch for Jobs & Co just yet. While NFC isn’t exactly experimental, it isn’t something the general public is really aware of, let alone something they are demanding on the newest iPhone.
I could be wrong, Apple could surprise us like they often do and throw themselves into the arena. I believe they will hold off and see how popular it is on Android handsets that boast the technology, if it takes off like I want it to then maybe NFC will be on the iPhone.
I want to believe, I want to live in a world where NFC is commonplace. A world where we swipe and tap our away through our lives and queues are dramatically shorter because of it. A world of the future that should exist today.
