NFC Mobile Chips Will Change Everything — It’s About A Lot More Than Just Mobile Payments (GOOG, AAPL)
We’re seeing more and more NFC-enabled devices—but it's hard to get excited by anything that goes by three dull letters (notable exceptions: BFF, STD, UFO). NFC, however, is (potentially) quite awesome. Here's how we hope it'll shine.
First, the basics. NFC stands for Near Field Communication. Which still doesn’t tell us much. Basically, it’s a way for devices to transmit and receive very small bits of information, wirelessly, at very close ranges. How close? Centimeters close. So unlike beaming video from your laptop to your TV over Wi-Fi, or syncing phone contacts over Bluetooth, NFC is suited for simpler, daintier tasks. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be cool as hell. Here’s a rundown of how we hope to see NFC seeping into our lives in the not too distant future.
This post originally appeared at Gizmodo.
Mobile Payment
This one's a gimme. Mostly, because it already exists—credit card companies like Visa are already pushing their contactless methods, and companies like Google and Apple have shown interest in turning our phones into debit cards. It might even show up in the next iPhone. What’s it mean? No real wallet. Take out your phone, swipe it by the register, be on your way.
Goodbye Passport
This one, not so much a gimme—namely for security reasons. We can't imagine the US State Department relinquishing control of their most cherished proof of existence. But, as with your wallet, it'd be nice to consolidate the number of things you have to pack on a trip. Imagine swiping your phone at customs instead of digging around for your crinkled passport? New passports already have radio chips inside, anyway. Just hope suicide bombers don’t start jailbreaking.
Keys
Apartment keys. Car keys. Hotel keys. Safe keys. Locker keys. Keys to your girlfriend's place. We all have way too many keys. So what if you could swipe your way indoors with only one object? Wireless door fobs are increasingly popular anyway—this one seems likely.
See Also:
- 8 Companies And Sectors That Could Be Transformed By Starbucks Mobile Payments
- Shopkick Has 750,000 Users — And 10% Use It Each Day
- 10 Entrepreneurs Turned Today Into A $16 Billion Industry
