NFC – Its history, how it works, and its current uses

The idea of what we know know as NFC – Near-field Communication –  can be traced back to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). In actuality, NFC is very nearly the same as RFID, just with a shorter radius of connectivity in exchange for greater security (which one would imagine to be important, when able to transfer nearly anything out of a cell phone). A group made of up 3 major electronic businesses, Sony, Nokia, and Phillips, came together and created specifications that all NFC products must adhere to so that they can all communicate with each other without issue in 2006.
http://www.nearfieldcommunication.org/history-nfc.html

NFC has been around for quite some time now. For a while, we humans have been able to utilize short range magnets to transfer data. In fact, Japan has had something similar for quite some time. The FeliCa card of Japan was “more of a precursor” to current NFC devices, as it only communicated one way and didn’t use power. Nowadays, there are many different devices, including a multitude of phones, that are using this technology to accomplish a variety of tasks.
http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2011-02/near-field-communication-helping-your-smartphone-replace-your-wallet-2010/

So how does it work? Well, since it’s wireless transfer you might think it uses the same protocol as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth – wireless radio transmissions. That would be incorrect however. NFC works with electromagnetic radio fields – slower radio waves. There are two types of NFC devices, active and passive. Passive NFC devices are similar to an electronic chalk board – devices with active NFC capabilities can read the information stored on the passive NFC device, but the passive device cannot read other devices. It is also possible to make passive NFC devices read-only (unalterable) or read/write so that the data stored on them may be changed by authorized devices. Active devices are able to read other devices as well as send information to other active devices (for, again, passive devices cannot read data- only send it). The information sent is usually encrypted to ensure security, however if the device, for example a smartphone, gets stolen and isn’t locked the thief would be able to abuse the NFC aspect.
http://www.nearfieldcommunication.org/how-it-works.html

There are some pretty crazy ways to use this technology. For example, to pay for things, share apps with other devices, read devices, purchasing/handing in tickets (to amusements parks, concerts, airlines) and more. For example, filing systems at any type of company. Imagine how much easier it would be for a hospital to have a read/write NFC tag that a device could be used to read your information from. It would clean up the hassle/mess/size of paper  files, while being more mobile than computers (and even more mobile than paper files)! Advertisements will also surely become more creative, as a poster attached with a passive NFC device would be able to draw you in then link you to a website with all of the information available. You can even use your device as a keyring, being able to unlock you car, start your car, enter buildings like work/office, etc. If things continue this way, the only thing people will ever need to carry is their cellphones; say goodbye to wallets and keys! Plus as I already mentioned, sending information via NFC is a lot faster than emails or anything like that, so if nearby you can just touch their phone to send files or applications. NFC certainly will has a vast affect on the future in many areas, not just electronics.
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/5-ways-nfc-tech-could-rock-your-world.htm#page=0

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