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Samsung TecTiles 2 Now available to purchase

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by Spencer McClendon on
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Do you remember last month when we told you of the sad news that Samsung’s old TecTiles didn’t work with the new Galaxy S 4. Well cheer up my friends because Samsung TecTiles 2 are now available for you to purchase. For those of you that don’t know what a Samsung TecTile is, let me give you a quick refresher. They are smart NFC tags that can be programmed by the Samsung TecTile app to do many things. You can set TecTiles to change settings in the phone, call a specific number, or send a predefined text. As an example, you can place a tag at the office, and when you scan the it, it can set your smartphone to silent or it could bring up your work calendar. You choose what you want the tag to do when it is scanned, making the little tasks that much easier.

For those that have a Galaxy S 4 and want more info, check out the source.

Source: Samsung

Old Samsung NFC TecTile tags don’t work with the Samsung Galaxy S 4

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by Spencer McClendon on
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Samsung has upgraded the Galaxy S 4′s NFC chipset in a way that it no longer communicates with older Samsung NFC tags called TecTiles. When asked about this problem Samsung had this to say:

Samsung is introducing TecTile 2, an update to the original TecTile NFC programmable tags, which will be available in the coming weeks. TecTile 2 will use the current NFC technology on the market, allowing Samsung customers to further incorporate NFC into their daily lives and to use with the latest Samsung Mobile products and services, including the Galaxy S 4. As industry standards continue to evolve, Samsung remains committed to meeting those standards and adapting its technologies if necessary. Samsung customers can also fully utilize TecTiles 2 with existing Samsung Mobile NFC-enabled Android smartphones currently in market.

» Read the rest

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Bypasses Carriers With Latest NFC Technology

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by Mike Stenger on
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NFC payment technology is on the cutting edge and Samsung has implemented Visa payWave into the Galaxy S 4 which completely bypasses carriers. Visa payWave works by storing encrypted payment information on an embedded secure element within the phone versus storing payment information on your SIM card. Samsung claims the Galaxy S 4 is the world’s first device to do this with Visa payWave. NFC payment services like Google Wallet have had issues with carriers, Verizon being the largest. Back in December, the carrier delayed approval of Google Wallet while not surprisingly developing their own mobile payment service, Isis. Samsung seems to have been aware of carriers interfering and has developed a better way for users to pay with their smartphones.

Source: CNET UK

Google Joins Board of Directors at NFC Forum

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by Jason Bracey on
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The Near Field Communications Forum (NFCF) was established in 2004 as a non-profit industry body designed to encourage advancements in NFC technologies. We have seen this technology slowly making its way into mainstream smartphones from all major manufactures (except Apple) over the past few years.

Google joined the NFCF in March 2011 as a “principal” member, and has not advanced up the board structure…until now. Google has upgraded its status on the Forum to “top-tier sponsor level“. This basically means that Google now has a say in the running of the consortium. Google has a vested interest in advancing NFC technology. After all, their Wallet app for Android would be useless without it. Google Wallet allows consumers to tap their phone to an NFC enabled reader and wirelessly transfer funds straight to the vendor, making transactions quick and painless (on select handsets). » Read the rest

Galaxy S IV will be first handset to feature ROAM integration, Visa’s mobile payment partner

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by Jared Peters on
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We’re still waiting on the official Galaxy S IV announcement, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t excited to hear about new features the device is going to have ahead of time. Visa and Samsung have announced that they’ve come to an agreement with Visa’s new mobile payment partner’s system, ROAM. It’s similar to Google Wallet and Isis, so hopefully US carriers don’t block it right out of the gate. The big difference, though, is that the APIs banks and merchants will use for accepting payments will come from Visa, and will supposedly offer higher security than what Google Wallet and Isis do.

Samsung’s Galaxy S IV will feature NFC-enabled payments through ROAM alongside Visa’s NFC software and PayWave application, and with the expected numbers Samsung plans on selling, that’s going to put NFC payments in millions of people’s hands. That’s a great first start towards making NFC payments commonplace. And, according to Visa, they’ve been in talks with “9 out of the top 10 handset makers” to get this NFC/payment combo shipped on as many devices as possible. They already have 55 approved with 55 more in line. Pretty impressive.

We still haven’t seen Google Wallet or Isis make any significant gains in revolutionizing how we pay for things, but maybe Visa can change that. Samsung’s a good company to use a first partner to make that happen. For the rest of our MWC congress, click here.

Fitbit adds wireless sync via Bluetooth 4.0, NFC support for Fitbit Flex device

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by Jeff Causey on
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A few days ago we reported on Nike’s decision to ignore the majority of smartphone users by opting not to bring an app to the Android market to support their fuel band device. In contrast, Fitbit provides Android support for their Fitbit One, Fitbit Zip and upcoming Fitbit Flex wireless activity trackers. They recently updated their Fitbit app for Android to include wireless sync capability using Bluetooth 4.0. The feature will only work with Samsung Galaxy S III and Samsung Galaxy Note II devices. Using Bluetooth 4.0 sync keeps the Fitbit dashboard updated in real-time and the app can provide motivational notifications and social interaction with friends.

In addition to the introduction of Bluetooth 4.0 sync capabilities, Fitbit has added NFC compatibility for their upcoming Fitbit Flex device. A tap on the Flex with an Android phone will automatically launch the Fitbit for Android app. You can read the full press release after the break and grab the app using one of the Google Play Store links. The app is free and only requires Android 2.1 or higher to get the basic functionality. » Read the rest

Google Wallet Gets Updated To Bring New UI And Additional Goodies

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by Roy Alugbue on
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Google Wallet has recently been updated to be better than ever by including some nifty little features. Among the cool items to note is the fact that Google has implemented support for Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express cards, a revamped user interface, application stability and improved battery life. So while those features are greatly welcomed—- it’s easy to catch that the most eye-catching item among the listed improvements to the app is the revamped UI. The new UI seems to fall in line with the newer Holo-type theme found in Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean devices. What this means is that users will be able to navigate through the app in a much more fluid manner by now allowing users to simply swipe left and right in order to access the various sections of the app.

While the latest app is not available for a limited number of NFC-based devices, the latest update is in the Play Store now. So if you have a device that can take advantage of the revolutionary payment app— be sure to grab the latest update today.

 

Play Store Download Link

Samsung Takes Over CES By Installing Permanent TecTile Stations Throughout Caesars Hotel

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by Roy Alugbue on
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It’s no secret that Samsung’s TecTiles technology is one cool concept, but Samsung is looking to introduce it to the rest of the masses here at CES by announcing to attendees of the event a permanent installation of TecTiles stations throughout Vegas and at all other Caesars Entertainment hotels and casino locaitons worldwide. The TecTiles will allow for everything from checking out information like player guidelines on the casino floor to viewing showtimes or buying tickets for the various entertainment venues to learning all the specifics of a particular shop or attraction guests might be interested in.

Leave it to Samsung to make it easier for us not just at CES 2013, but whenever we visit a Caesars Entertainment hotel and casino during our much-needed vacations… sheesh. Additional details can be found once you hit the break and check out the presser.

For additional CES coverage click here.

» Read the rest

Samsung Announces NFC-Enabled Portable Wireless Speaker As Part Of New Digital Audio Line-Up

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by Rudy Rivapalacio on
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Samsung’s new portable Bluetooth speaker, model DA-F60, includes apt-X codec support and NFC pairing. Samsung has already made the simplicity of tapping to share, via S Beam, a big deal in their funny/naughty commercials. Now they’re using NFC to simplify Bluetooth pairing (which, if you hear my in-laws tell it, is nearly impossible). The apt-X codec, supported by only a handful of handsets including Samsung’s own Galaxy S III and Note II, boosts the dynamic range of streaming audio. We should get more details, hopefully to include pricing, at CES. Follow our CES 2013 coverage here.

Press Release after break

» Read the rest

NFC Business cards from TapMyBiz are high quality and perfect for high impact networking

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by Robert Nazarian on
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NFC business cards aren’t new, but they never took off because they have always been credit-card like and who wants to carry a bunch of those around? Well a company called TapMyBiz is the first to offer a true high quality paper-like business card with an NFC chip embedded in it. It just so happened that I needed to order more business cards for CES so I figured I would give it a shot. I was shocked at how awesome the quality was. They will easily fit in a wallet and since I will need to carry a bunch of them to the show, I have no problem doing it since they are no thicker than your typical business card.

TapMyBiz will program each card to do whatever you want it to do when someone touches their NFC enabled phone or tablet to it. It can automatically add your contact information to their device, go to a website, open a video, head to a Facebook Page, or whatever you can think off. You can even set it to place a phone call or even a Skype call. If you ever want to reprogram any or all of your cards to do something else, you can easily do it with most of the NFC tag apps that are available in the Google Play Store.

You would think that a product like this would have a slow turnaround time, but they are able to produce and program your cards within 3 to 4 days. Ordering your card couldn’t be easier as their site offers free templates for designing your own. Of course, if you need any help, they offer 24/7 customer support. Right now they are a little limited in the style card, but come February, they will offer more sizes and different styles like rounded edges. That’s not all because by mid-year they will be offering greeting cards, flyers, and posters.

Check out my hands on video below to see how easy it works, and I am sure you will agree with me that it’s finally time to spice up your business cards with a little NFC.

For more information visit their website, about page, or FAQ

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