Available today from Samsung, $15 for pack of five tags Samsung has announced the availability of its second-generation TecTiles tags, tiny writable NFC stickers that can be used to trigger various actions on a smartphone. For example, used with the TecTiles app, they can be programmed to check in on social networks, or toggle various settings on the device when it's within range....
New NFC capable Soundbars will allow easy pairing and streaming with a range of mobile devices According to a report from the folks over at Pocket-Lint, Sony has confirmed that they will be releasing a new range of premium Soundbars later this year. Of interest is the news that they will be NFC capable too, which means with a simple tap you should be able to share your music from your...
A great file transfer tool for power users As advanced as modern mobile devices are, getting files from one phone or tablet to another can still be problematic. Cloud storage apps like Dropbox can clog up your Internet connection. The BlueTooth-based Android Beam is slow, and can only be used for certain items. And S Beam, though faster, is restricted to Samsung devices. Enter SuperBeam...
A few folks have written in, asking about that weird symbol that's in the status bar of their AT&T HTC One X following the recent update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The answer is a simple as it is useless: It's the NFC logo. And it doesn't do a damned thing. See, there's this push by the group that backs NFC -- that's near-field communication, if you're new to the game -- to make...
NFC has been set to be the "next big thing" for a while now, but has never taken off. Most high-end Android phones ship with an NFC chip now, so the hardware is out there, but there is one big piece of the puzzle missing -- a reason to use it. Most folks instantly think of Google Wallet whenever NFC is mentioned. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed and unless Google can force a drastic...
MOO's NFC-enabled business cards still aren't available to the public just yet (we've got a tester version we like to flash around at parties and such), but the company today gave word that it's rolled its own NFC-tagging app. The interface is simple enough. You can link to a web site, map, social networks, phone numbers and vCards, as well as read and reset what's on your MOO NFC card...
Google Wallet is getting a facelift today with its latest update, bringing a smoother UI and some under the hood improvements as well. The interface now more closely follows the holo UI guidelines, with navigation tabs along the top of the interface and an overflow settings button to hold all extra functions. You're no longer greeted by a list of all available cards, as they are now all...
If you'd wanted to pick up a Galaxy S3 Mini, but had found your desire for the miniature smartphone soured by its lack of NFC support, then Samsung's got you covered. A new, NFC-capable version of the S3 Mini will launch in the UK starting at the end of the month, the manufacturer revealed in a press release this morning. Besides the inclusion of NFC, giving the S3 Mini support for...
Samsung has just announced a new set of digital audio equipment, most importantly to us smartphone nerds being a new Bluetooth speaker for pairing with phones and tablets. This newest speaker, model DA-F60, supports both NFC pairing and the apt-X audio codec. This is a not-so-common yet interesting use of NFC, which lets users tap a tablet or phone to the speaker to initiate the...
Not content with waiting until next week to unveil CES bound products, LG has pulled the wraps off some of their latest Smart TV's. We already know that LG is taking some new Google TV hardware to Las Vegas, but these TV sets aren't those. But, despite lacking a direct Android connection, they still give us cause for interest. The new LG Cinema 3D range includes this rather handsome...
Update: Thanks to @PDTechHD who has sent us this picture of the Samsung Galaxy S3 extended battery in its retail packaging! If the 2100mAh battery that comes stock with the Samsung Galaxy S3 still isn't quite enough for you, you'll be pleased to hear that Samsung appears set to launch an extended battery pack for the device. The extended battery hits 3000mAh, and has appeared for pre-...
If you're on the go and need to make a purchase at a website on your phone, it's always going to be a hassle to juggle your wallet in one hand and your phone in the other, trying to enter your credit card into a mobile site. Google is hoping to fix this, bringing Google Wallet credit card payments to mobile sites on your phone. The idea is that the site will integrate with the Google...
We'll smack a big old rumor sticker on this one for now, because it isn't real, until it's real. But, according to Android Police, who claim to have a leaked Google Wallet apk, a physical, Google Wallet credit card -- for your real wallet -- could well be on the horizon. We already know that something is afoot for Google's mobile payment service, after a recent sign up page appeared...
The NFC marketing bandwagon is coming out in full force, and Sony’s latest campaign will pit users against each other in a racing game with real toy cars, as part of its "Xperia Face Off" promotion. The Japanese phone maker will outfit its latest Xperia T phones in little race cars and the idea is to race around an obstacle course filled with NFC devices. Players have two minutes to...
Android has supported NFC (near-field communication) technology since Gingerbread, and Android Beam has enabled easy URL, app and contact sharing since ICS launched last year. But our friends in the Windows Phone world are just now getting their first introduction to NFC in the latest windows Phone 8 release. In addition to a new NFC-enabled wallet, WP8 includes "tap + send" support,...
Samsung has updated its TecTile app to add more features like batch actions and the ability to set tags to private. The mobile app is meant to program Samsung TecTile NFC hardware tags that can be used to automate tasks. Users can tap their phones on tags to perform common tasks. You can launch a running app and the music app before a workout, for example, or tap one by the bedside to...
As expected, the Isis mobile payment system backed by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon has been launched in Austin and Salt Lake City today. There are currently nine handsets that are ready to roll with the NFC-enabled app, with another 11 on the way before 2013. Verizon has announced that the Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR MAXX HD will both be compatible this week. T-Mobile has announced...
It looks like we were dead on for the Isis launch date, limited as the rollout may be. Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah will officially be the first areas to support the Isis starting on October 22. As is there are about 340 Isis-ready merchants in each city. Right now, the only device that we know for sure will support Isis is the Droid Incredible, though Motorola, LG, and Sony...
Sure, NFC hasn't quite taken over the world yet, but that doesn't mean it can't be useful. And MOO, maker of extremely cool business cards (it's where we do business), will be adding an NFC option. You can't order them just yet, but MOO's slipping an NFC-enabled card into new orders (it says it's got 150,000 of them to give away), to whet appetites. MOO says it'll have its own NFC-...
When a new phone is released without NFC, there's a lot of wailing and teeth-gnashing on the Internet about how horrible it is that manufacturer X is silly for not including it. Some folks seem to be die-hard fans of the tech, while others just don't seem to care. The best way to settle that sort of argument is a steel-cage deathmatch a poll, so that's what we're asking this week. NFC...