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Is there any real use for nfc tags?

ari-free

Android Expert
Nov 2, 2009
1,495
155
I am trying to wrap my head around these. How can they be used in a way that's better than other methods? For example, if I wanted to do a bunch of things when leaving the house, wouldn't it be easier to put a tasker widget on your homescreen instead of looking for a tiny tag on the wall and precisely touching the phone to it?

They might seem to make sense for business. Stores could place tags on signs next to each product and it would launch a link to a website. Even still, you could do the same thing with a barcode scanner and you wouldn't have to be that close to it.
 
I have one on my WiFi router that guests can tap to automatically give them everything needed to connect to the secure network.

I also have one that toggles WiFi placed under the lightswitch plate next to my door that toggles WiFi on/off as I come or go.


Finally, there's one placed in my nightstand that sets my alarm when I place my phone on the nightstand to charge at night.

None of them are visible
 
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I have one on my WiFi router that guests can tap to automatically give them everything needed to connect to the secure network.

That's the best idea I've read so far. They wouldn't be able to do that with a qr code.
But for your other ideas I think you could just create a tasker widget and just touch that from anywhere you happen to be.

ah I know....tap to 'like' us on Facebook. I know, it's cheesy marketing.
From Samsung:
"Samsung TecTiles will transform how businesses large and small engage with consumers. On premise, TecTiles enable consumers to check-in on Facebook
 
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Ah so you are using spatial memory until it's just a reflex. That does sound better than having to look through a screen full of little widgets.

Now, I don't need to set my alarm every night but I do want it set up so when I want to sleep or take a nap that my phone turns off notification alarm and have it set to Lightning Bug for 1/2 hour. When I wake up I want it to tell me what the weather is like and any missed messages.
 
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If you have some settings that need to be tweaked that don't follow a set schedule or location, or that location is in a building such that GPS is unreliable, that's a perfect time for a NFC tag.

For example, I don't usually put work meetings on my personal Google calendar, and I don't link to Exchange, for corporate security reasons (they have too many rules and requirements for me to agree to do it on a personal phone). So meetings are pretty asynchronous for me, meaning Tasker won't do the job. I have an order of NFC tags on the way; I plan to put one inside the notebook I take to meetings, and configure my phone to go into silent mode by tapping it, and back to normal by tapping it again.
 
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