Anyone using NFC tags with their Galaxy Nexus?

milesmcever

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Just ordered a kit from the website listed at the start of the thread I'll play with them let you guys know how it works and might try to sell a few if anyone is interested. But I'll keep you guys updated.

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mikestorm

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Scouring the web for other uses and found one action where the use of NFC tags has an advantage: checking in via foursquare, Facebook Places and Google Places.

Just place a conspicuous tag near the entrance of your business. Customers touch phone to tag as they walk in. Bingo: You've just checked in to the location based service of your choice with a tap (or all of them simultaneously if you use multiple).
 

newdroidnewb

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I bought some NFC tags from tagstand . They are very inexpensive and they work as advertised. I also DLed the NFC Task Launcher app from the market. There were others available for free, which I did not try, but this one seemed like the best one for me. It works great and has lots of uses.

Scouring the web for other uses and found one action where the use of NFC tags has an advantage: checking in via foursquare, Facebook Places and Google Places.

Just place a conspicuous tag near the entrance of your business. Customers touch phone to tag as they walk in. Bingo: You've just checked in to the location based service of your choice with a tap (or all of them simultaneously if you use multiple).

To add to that good idea, you can also set up a tag to automatically check you in at your current location. So you could just place a tag somewhere is your car and tap it on your way out of the car to check it. I'm not a checker inner myself, so I haven't and won't be using it this way, but seems like a great way to check it for those that do.

Main thing I want to bring to everyone's attention though, is that the tags have a memory limit. I did not pay attention to this when ordering and I happen to order only ones that had a 48 byte limit of data.
A typical "task" that I tried write to the tag is around 60 bytes. I, therefore, couldn't use the tags I got exactly like I wanted to. I was able to write smaller tasks to them and they work fine.
They were cheap enough that it's not that big of a deal, I'm just out a few dollars and a few weeks.

All the different tags are very similarly priced, so just make sure you get the ones that work for you.
 
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milesmcever

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I bought the programmer for my computer with the tags but I'll post what I end up using. So can you edit them with your phone too?

Sent from my GalaxyNexus using Tapatalk
 
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newdroidnewb

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I bought the programmer for my computer with the tags but I'll post what I end up using. So can you edit them with your phone too?

Sent from my GalaxyNexus using Tapatalk

Sure can! I was a little confused as well when I originally checked out the products they offered. I'm still not exactly sure what the programmer is for, but I'm assuming that it is so you can program several tags without having to use a phone.

For my purposes though, the phone works great for programming them. Think of the tags as like tiny SD cards that work wirelessly, but instead of just storing data, they perform actions. You can get an app to program the tasks you want, then you write those tasks to the tags by simply touching the phone to the tag.
 

milesmcever

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Well might have just ordered the tags if I knew how to read I guess. But as soon as it gets here I'll post info on them and if there are any benefits.

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newdroidnewb

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Well might have just ordered the tags if I knew how to read I guess. But as soon as it gets here I'll post info on them and if there are any benefits.

Sent from my GalaxyNexus using Tapatalk

Lol, don't feel bag, as you can see from my previous post, I too, can't read. I had to order all new tags because the ones I purchased weren't large enough. Oh well, not the first time I've had to pay a little extra because of my own stupidity and probably won't be the last.
 

StitchsMaster

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Usually, Locale being an example, you have to buy plugins to make the app even remotely useful. And I have found they dont always work.

I tried Locale and found it somewhat limiting. I now use Tasker, seems to have far more options, is actively developed, can use Locale plug-ins and new seems to support root actions as well.
 
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Just to be clear, do you need two tags by a door for each operation?

Like when entering your car it turns BT on, but then when exiting do you need a separate tag to turn it off or can a tag also act as a toggle?

Also for programming, you don't need to spend 50.00 for the hardware the app in the market is sufficient?
 

TitanicusRex

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So now that I have my tags on the way, I need to find an application. Most everyone seems to be interested in using this for a location based phone profile switcher and I'm sure that's one of the things I'll use it for as well. But what I'm needing is a tracking database application. I am an engineering consultant and I move a lot and swap project locations, setup and tear down my temporary offices. I need a way to track my printers, tools, boxes of project supplies and materials. I'd like to slap an NFC tag to the sides of boxes , tool bags, etc. And be able to track the locations and contents. Sort of check them into a office or storage site then check them out when I move it. This would let me look on my database and know that the binder I'm looking for is in box A which is on site 2. I'm not going to track each little item but I could track the item container and manually enter any contents via the DB interface. The NFC tag just let's me keep the location DB up to date on the fly.

Anyone have any recommended apps? Or has nothing like this been written yet?

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mca312

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Does anyone know of a way to add a pause between tasks? When I get to work, I want to enable WIFI, and open a browser, but the browser opens instantly and the WIFI takes 5 seconds or so to connect.

Anyone know how to add a pause?
 

whiteth

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Just to be clear, do you need two tags by a door for each operation?

Like when entering your car it turns BT on, but then when exiting do you need a separate tag to turn it off or can a tag also act as a toggle?

Also for programming, you don't need to spend 50.00 for the hardware the app in the market is sufficient?

Just got my NFC tags and love this idea. Props to Erik (gnapoleon2) above for setting me onto the idea.

No, with NFC Task Launcher you can set up a tag profile, basically applying 2 task sets to one tag. For instance, I have a tag on my work phone that I will use when I get in the office to turn on WiFi, vibrate, etc. When I leave, I will scan the same tag to turn off wifi and open my bus tracker. Took about 5 minutes to figure it all out and set up the tag.

EDIT: On a side note, does anyone know if NFC tags (standard Mifare Classic 1K) are safe to put near other device's screens? For example, I just stuck one inside the case of my Transformer Prime so that I can enable WiFi tether on my way to work. I just want to make sure that because it faces and touches the screen while inside the case that it cannot do any damage through any electromagnetic field or something like that. Doubtful but overprotective of my expensive gadgets.
 
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