“Applications that will require Apple to present the market with new NFC (Near Field Communications) enabled iPhones sometime in 2011 (if we’re lucky),” Purcher reports. “In todays patent report we’ll explore a new Apple patent that reveals that NFC is going even deeper into the next generation iPhone.”
Purcher reports, “Today, Apple introduces ‘Products +’ a generic name for a future ‘benefit management application.’ The idea behind the patent is that Apple will work with participating vendors – be they a trendy coffee vendor or electronics or book retailer – so that their packaging will sport an NFC tag. This tag will be able to be read by a user’s NFC enabled iPhone which could in return surprise the user with hidden benefits ranging from free merchandise to free music and a lot of options in-between. The benefits angle to an NFC enabled iPhone could tip the scale in a any given sale and I think that this has the potential of being an explosively hot feature to kick off the NFC revolution on the iPhone.”
Read more in the full article, which includes real-world use examples and Apple patent application illustrations, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Arline M.” for the heads up.]
I can see enormous potential problems regarding privacy. I would expect at the very minimum the ability to disable any NFC system.
Minority Report here we come 🙁
=:~)
Chas, You can always use cash and a pay phone. : )
One more step towards SKYNET
Long as we can turn it off.
With so many un-under employed who is left to buy products?
Hello Mr. Yukkamoto and welcome back to the GAP!
This isn’t like geo location. This is like seeing ads in a magazine with an NFC code that you’ll swipe and simply gain something like a free movie pass or a free iTunes song etc. This is not intimidating and privacy won’t be an issue in most cases. This is going to be made fun by Apple so that we adopt it aggressively. At least in the first 3 years, this should be a blast!
This will make stolen phones even more serious.
In Canada we have Tim Hortons which is like your Starbucks (though we have both) and they have a game that’s called “Roll up the rim to win.” Straight forward. You buy a coffee, roll up the rim that’s around the cup when your done with your coffee and under the rim are prizes you could win like hockey game tickets right up to a car. They have a lot of winners to get you sucked into buying their coffee and donuts. The Apple example would work much better with your iPhone or iPod touch scanning a code. Rogers in Canada just signed onboard for NFC so I could see this coming to market in about two years time. Excellent idea, great timing.
Nice. Finally, the non-product manual. Show me a video anytime. I hate reading their screwed up instructions that I rarely get.
I followed that link to the NFC forum site and played around and found that Marvell has also signeed on to Support NFC technology. So there’s broadcom and marvell both apple suppliers. This stuff is really starting to ramp up. Visa is working with Apple to in a trial with restaurants. What’s takiing so long?
All Nokia phones will have NFC starting in 2011. They may beat apple to the punch but won’t get it right. Apple’s nfc patents started rolling out before nokia jumped on board. They’re paranoid of apple as are all the rest of the loosers.
I don’t think we have to wait for NFC chips or labels to see some of this happening sooner. In another article, MDN or someone notes that between iPhone smart location services, push capability, and augmented reality, we are just a short hop from having vendors target market us as we enter their perceived sphere of influence. Now, that’s Minority Report.
I always carry an extra set of eyes with me… helps with anything like this…
but the sandwiches are really not too tasty…
And the milk!!! Do not ask about the milk!
Cheers!
Near Field Communication will allow two iPhone users to use FaceTime when sitting next to each other, just like in WALL-E!
The difference between Tim Horton’s and Starbucks is that Tim Horton’s serves coffee, while Starbucks serves faux European burnt roasted crud with all the appeal of charcoal.
You’ve never had a coffee in Spain, have you…
Philistine.
Cheers for Tim Horton’s and I hope Apple Canada gets cooking on this pronto! This would be a great partnership for coded cups like the patent illustrates.
Apple will work with participating vendors be they a trendy coffee vendor or electronics or book…
custom bedroom furniture