Near field communications technology has been up in the news for quite some time now, and we all know that major smart phone companies and developers are already investing plenty in the hardware and software needed.
Apple acquired an NFC specialist company earlier this year while Nokia has already applied the hardware into some of their new devices. Android developer Google has announced that the new versions of the operating system will be supporting NFC functions.
But the real question is: what will we do with it? NFC is basically using an electronic device to use specially encrypted short range frequencies to communicate with other devices using similar technology. While the application may range from the simple task of being able to detect proximity or the transfer of small media files, it can also be used to handle tasks that make full use of the security features: financial transactions and opening electronic locks. Indeed, NFC technology is aiming to replace both your wallet and car keys.
The application of NFC in the real world has yet to begin, while there are already plenty of prototypes, the hardware has yet to be fully accepted by society –especially in areas where the very nature of the technology would be its downfall. It will be a while before our society is able to handle the needs of a word where a majority of house and car doors are opened through NFC.
Chip manufacturer Intel has confirmed that they still have not given up on penetrating the CPU market in the smart phone industry. Despite the initial advantage of Qualcomm and Texas Instruments in the industry, Intel has plenty of years in the computer industry backing it up; and as seen with the new Atom CPU used in many netbooks, they have what it takes to produce high speed, low power processors for mobile devices.
Tags: Intel, near-field-communications, NFC