14 DAY TRIAL // When it launched the Nexus S by Samsung, the first mobile phone in the world running under the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, Google unveiled a new feature added to both the OS and the handset, namely NFC (Near Field Communication) support.
Apparently, the company has already made the next steps in this direction, and the first NFC applications are now available for purchase in the Android Market, not to mention that Google is looking to hire people with NFC experience.
For those who are not familiar with what NFC is all about, we should note that it is a short-range, high-frequency wireless technology through which devices in close proximity to each other would be able to exchange data.
Among the first NFC applications that were spotted in the Android Market, we can count the Japanese Taglet app, which can enable devices to act as NFC readers.
However, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Nexus S only support this type of data transmission at the moment, thought Google is expected to enhance it in the future with two-way communication capabilities.
When this feature would be enabled, consumers would have the possibility to use their devices for NFC-based mobile payments services and more.
At the moment, one would be able to retrieve info on various products with the said application.
Another app would be EnableTable, through which restaurant owners can reward their loyal customers with “Welcome Back” coupons, which would be sent to customers' smartphones using NFC technology.
As ReadWriteWeb notes in a recent article, there would be more features that the NFC technology could unleash on Android smartphones, provided that Google would remove the limitations it currently has in its platform.
Google is currently looking to hire a Technical Account Manager that would have NFC experience, which suggests that it might not be too long before the feature gets enhanced.
In the meantime, you should have a look at the two videos below to see the aforementioned applications in action.