FREE MOBILE CLOUD COMPUTING CONCEPTS - TRAINING_MODULES_WITH_TONS_OF_VIDEOS
Post by Zanu Luzoogle with Silicon Saviours, LLC
The introduction of Google
Wallet felt a little too
good to be true, didn't it? It's magical, like the tech equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. In reality, the tech
behind mobile payments has been around since 2003 on a much smaller scale using near-field communications, more commonly known as NFC.
The idea behind Wallet (amongst
other services, like ISIS) is contactless pay -- using your phone as a credit card -- and is just one of the many ways NFC
can be useful in our everyday lives. In fact, we're only scraping the surface of what's theoretically possible.
Google
is definitely not the first company to dabble in NFC, but it appears to be poised and ready to push the tech's adoption forward
at a rapid pace with the advent of Wallet and Offers.
Until now the coals have been hot; but if a fire's going to start, someone monolithic has to throw a few newspapers
in as kindling -- and Google volunteered. But what good is NFC if it's just an acronym that causes our eyes to glaze over?
Is El Goog the only instigator? After the break we'll focus on what NFC is capable of, and why we want it on our
phones as soon as yesterday.
Behold, the magic of NFC
NFC, the brainchild of Sony and NXP, is at the bottom of the wireless totem pole. It allows two devices embedded
with chips to snuggle up together and transmit small pieces of data between each other when they are in close proximity. This
data can be credit card information, coupons, tickets...you get the idea.
As all of this is rather sensitive,
it means you'll need to get up close and personal with the other device in order for it to suck down your data -- a simple
swipe or tap should do the trick, and your most intimate bytes will soon be whisked away into the wilds of the internet.
Remember RFID? That's the baby that started it all, and it's been around since the '90s.
RFID microchips are installed in reader tags that can be found in a number of everyday items -- they're found in stores, supply
chain equipment, animal tags, and even "smart" passports.
There's a good chance you already take advantage
of it if you have a MasterCard PayPass. There's a RFID chip installed
on your credit card that, when tapped on the payment station, will complete your purchase without needing to go the "old-fashioned"
route.
Since NFC is based on the same technology, it's easy to mistake it for RFID. It takes the same type of chips
and bumps it up a notch by adding computing power. That's why putting it on a phone is so critical; NFC not only needs the
proper hardware (an antenna and an Amp.
The full
capabilities of NFC can be broken down into three key genres:
1. Card Emulation Mode - The mode
in which Google Wallet and other forms of contactless pay will be based, card emulation mode is exactly what it sounds like
-- the phone becomes your credit card.
Emulating a traditional smart card makes it convenient for companies
like MasterCard and Visa that already have infrastructures set up for contactless pay, since nothing has to be changed.
2. Reader Mode - This allows the phone to read passive RFID tags on posters, stickers, and other
stationary objects that contain certain types of information on them. For instance, you could tap your phone on the reader
tag in a movie poster and it would begin playing the movie trailer, provide theater times, locations, and so on.
3. Peer-to-peer (P2P) Mode - P2P offers interaction between two active NFC-equipped devices such as phones.
Using this mode, you could make payments to another individual or business just by tapping the two phones together. If the
ice cream truck comes barrelling down your street or if your neighbor wants to pay you for that cup of sugar they just asked
for, c
ash would no longer be a necessary part of the transaction. Or, what if you just got a killer track and
you want to share it with your neighbor on the bus?
P2P Mode is the magic that'll make it happen.
As the name implies, P2P could also go a long way in creating an enhanced multiplayer gaming experience. One example
we've seen already is Angry
Birds Magic, a newfangled
build of the world's most popular time waster. We're certain this could open up to hundreds of other uses for multiplayer
gaming.
NFC technology works in a similar manner to Bluetooth -- after
all, they're both wireless technologies that rely on close-range and secure transmissions -- but there are some important
differences.
"Mobile payments are just the tip of the NFC iceberg."
With NFC, it's
faster to connect two devices together and it can't transmit as far.
The intrigue of mobile payments is that it
takes less time to swipe your phone across a device at the register than it does to whip out the plastic or check.
This is one of the primary reasons phone manufacturers and credit card companies are working hard to persuade skeptical
merchants; the faster a line moves, the more a company profits.
What can we do with NFC?
As highlighted
earlier, mobile payments are just the tip of the NFC iceberg. There are virtually limitless applications and uses that could
be developed for it, and here's some that are in the works (if not already out and ready to go):
Monitor your health
Mobile tickets
for trains/planes/mass transit Unlock
doors: hotel rooms, cars, etc.
Pair bluetooth devices by tapping on your phone
Log onto WiFi networks
Check-ins: Foursquare, Latitude, etc.
Initiate a video
chat or join a conference call
Share files between phones: music, docs, photos
Store mobile "punch cards"
for restaurants
Replace grocery store value cards with mobile coupons
Alright, we threw in the last couple options to satisfy
our own wishful thinking; it's perfectly feasible though, so just be sure to give us credit if you decide to make it actually
work.
Now, it may go without saying that both devices will need to have NFC chips and antennas installed already,
but what if your handheld device doesn't have one? In the US, that means anybody that doesn't own a Samsung Nexus S or Nokia Astound; at least, those are your only choices if you're not so inclined to nab an NFC phone from
overseas and use it on US airwaves.
Here's a few external methods you can employ:
SIM and MicroSD cards
- It's hard to believe that NFC hardware could be embedded on such a small piece of equipment, but SIM cards and MicroSD have been
developed that would allow the same kinds of contactless pay on your NFC-less phone. The only negative aspect factoring into
this method is the idea that these chips are laying underneath multiple layers of metal and plastic, which could downgrade
the quality of the antenna's signal.
Here's a quick demo of how it works:
External sticker/sleeve - By putting your device in a sleeve or case containing the necessary hardware,
you'd have an uninterrupted signal being broadcasted; these things can be a bit thicker or bulkier, however.
Softbank
released an iPhone NFC sticker
last year that is thin enough to allow the Apple bumper to go right on top of it, yet still emits an NFC signal.
NFC: Where is it now?
This tech has been around for several years, and the only place it's found real success
to date is in Japan, so why is it taking so long to reach acceptance everywhere else? One would probably have an easier time
figuring out if the proverbial chicken beat out the proverbial egg.
Phone manufacturers don't want to factor in
the additional cost of NFC hardware without being absolutely certain it's going to pay off for the company and its shareholders,
but it's even more difficult for merchants to sign on and drink the Kool-Aid if there's no hardware for its customers to purchase stuff on.
There had to be one common denominator
that every player could agree on.
Over the coming years, a much heavier emphasis will likely be placed on NFC adoption.
Several analysts have estimated how many phones will ship with this capability by 2015, all indicating an explosion of growth
in NFC use; the chart below takes a look at one such forecast, courtesy of iSuppopil.net.
According
to the estimates, over 30 percent of all phones globally will have NFC built-in within the next four years. Why is there such
a sudden spike in interest and growth?
"The main driver of NFC is contactless pay. All of the other
benefits are just side effects."
The main driver of NFC is contactless pay. All of the
other benefits listed above are just side effects, made possible because mobile payments will end up generating enormous piles
of money for the banks, credit card companies, and OEMs.
Several companies are involved in bringing NFC to the
mainstream, but over the last year or so we've seen some highly influencial ones help bring this technology to the spotlight.
So, who's largely to thank?
Major Players
Google - By adding
NFC hardware to its Nexus S and software into Gingerbread, Google laid the foundation to its new empire of mobile payments and other potential applications.
It
found traction by signing critical deals with MasterCard, Subway, Macy's, and several other vendors, and announced Wallet
(presumably in anticipation of any possible Apple announcement).
The company helped NFC move forward a great deal
by giving it plenty of needed exposure.
Nokia - Nokia began incorporating NFC into a few of its
phones a few years ago. The only one that hit any sort of stride in the US was the 6131 on T-Mobile, but the company did have a larger influence on its use overseas.
Google may have struck the necessary deals and made the headlines, but it's hard to imagine NFC really picking up steam
without Nokia's involvement.
ISIS - As a joint venture by AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile,
ISIS aims to integrate contactless pay and interactive coupons into your phone. The company is reportedly working to partner
with Visa and MasterCard for now, and the system will be trialed in the summer of 2012 on the Utah Transit Authority in Salt Lake City. ISIS could easily be influential due to the support
it has from three out of the four national US carriers.
And, the penetrtation of the Cloud into M2M activities will grow...and grow......
