Can the iPhone save NFC? The continuing push to get the general public interested in Near Field Communications sees an RFID tag strapped to the back of an iPhone, and used to trigger various videos for reasons that remain obscure. The demonstration offers nothing we've not seen before, as exemplified by the Mir:ror, but it bundles it into an iPhone - …
Here's one possible application:
If you visit a museum or a historic site (for example, if it's raining and your TV/computer/games console(s) have all simultaneously broken) you're often given (or made to rent) a hand-held device that tells you about the moss covered rock that's supposed to be a castle/broken plate etc that you're currently looking at. This works by making you enter a number into the keypad that corresponds to a number on a nearby sign.
NFC could remove the need to manually enter the number (and therefore the need for the signs too), thus eliminating the last bit of manual effort that prevents you from falling asleep.
Already done. Lots of Museums are installing this kind of thing to replace the walking-round-with-a-taperecorder- type devices. Bluetooth also does this kind of work.
There is a bluetooth 'push' technology that is supposed to be able to push offers (read: adverts) into your phone as you walk past a store or hoarding or whatever. Who wants that? (answer: nobody those that tried it switched it off). This looks like an attempt at the same thing.
If product tagging within supermarkets (one of the many lauded applications for RFID) took off, consumers could pull up nutrition information, allergy warnings, supermarket price comparisons, etc. This could tie up with shopping lists created by your fridge and uploaded to your phone.
God I miss Tommorow's World!
Automatic man overboard alarm for large ships such as aircraft carriers, the crew carry an RFID chip in their identity tag set. The periphery of the deck is a large RFID reading device. As the falling sailor passes the detector it sounds an alarm, records the vessel's location, triggers lifebelt ejection mechanisms and identifies the missing seaman - all before he hits the water and gets chewed up in the propellor wash.
Years ago when Lossiemouth was an RNAS station all the kerbstones were painted with a frangible white paint. If a service vehicle was returned to the MT section with white paint on the tyre walls, the driver was charged with driving overboard. Allegedly this was to train RN drivers to keep away from deck edges on aircraft carriers
"If product tagging within supermarkets (one of the many lauded applications for RFID) took off, consumers could pull up nutrition information, allergy warnings, supermarket price comparisons,"
Or they could just read the back of the packet (admittedly I'm ignoring the price comparisons comment for satirical effect) :-D
"God I miss Tommorow's World!"
I miss Flippa Forrester. Mmmmm....
The ability to have carers log calls to service users by swiping said mobile device which then sends SMS back to base confirming calls.
Why? Because for some unknown reason even turning up at site on time and signing in reliably can be difficult for some carers!
We are looking at implementing this at the moment and NFC looks ideal as there is no external power required and the sensors are pretty small.
Just because you don't use it for Iphone games or your freebies, El Reg, doesn't mean it doesn't have any application to anyone at all.
"If product tagging within supermarkets (one of the many lauded applications for RFID) took off, consumers could pull up nutrition information, allergy warnings, supermarket price comparisons,"
Actually you can do it today with a barcode reader. Only better camera phones can read the 1D EAN/UPC though. The fixed focus cheapo cameras can only do the 2D codes. I have a nice wireless/serial laser reader battery LCD terminal.
The only useful thing I can think of for RFID is baggage handling. Even auto parcel sorting can use barcodes fine.
You only need to store a unique ID. Storage capacity is thus irrelevant.
RFIDs are also a security hazard and never intended nor should ever have been used in passports or creditcards. They are indeed a solution desperate for a problem to solve.
maybe identifying your Coat?
That's already quite common... Tagging animals.
So with your suitably equipped iphone you too can read this tag and be able to confirm the identify of the cat curled round your legs at the front door. This will prevent sneaky cats belonging to neighbours from performing convincing impersonations and having a free meal.
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