[TenTwelve]

I've never had a phone with NFC capabilities so, I bought a sample pack of 15 from Tagstand. I look forward to playing around. :)

[pavvento]

I was thinking about it but since we can't use them to control radios/profile settings I'm not real sure if I'll use them as much. I was really looking forward to having them all over the place to adjust those settings.

[TenTwelve]

You don't think capabilities will be added in the future?

[pavvento]

You don't think capabilities will be added in the future?

They might be added, but I didn't pick the tags up now since I don't think those capabilities are currently there.

[bauerbach]

so... what can they control then?

[pavvento]

so... what can they control then?

From what I've read it can launch apps but I think it's current primary use is for sharing information/contacts/files etc.

EDIT: I was chatting with someone on Twitter that either works for Microsoft or has been using a Lumia and this is what they said when I asked about OS commands such as radios/sound profiles: not that I've seen so far. Currently its more akin to OOB Android functionality; URLs, VCard, app data, etc.

[alicechong7789]

Here's a list of some of the things you can do with the NFC Interator App:

Features (Qt) | NfcInteractor.com

[sandman]

Here are the features for the windows phone.

Features (Windows Phone) | NfcInteractor.com

"LaunchApp record: Microsoft-defined format to directly launch an application by specifying its ID, optionally passing parameters. Supported on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. In contrast to the Windows Phone Proximity APIs, Nfc Interactor can create an app that contains multiple records (LaunchApp + others), to enable multi-platform app launching scenarios."

So somebody just needs to write an app that takes the parameters and does what you want with the system.

[saket87]

You can try NFC interactor to write them, you can launch pages. To launch an app you need the app id, I don't know where I could copy and paste from. Btw I'm using Samsung textiles for gs3

[sandman]

Unfortunately at this time WP8 doesn't allow you to lock the tags. So you can write, but anybody can modify:( Shoot, somebody else with a different os could modify your tag and lock it...

[mopius]

You can try NFC interactor to write them, you can launch pages. To launch an app you need the app id, I don't know where I could copy and paste from.

You can get the app ID from the web-based Windows Phone Store. I've written a short overview here:
Frequently Asked Questions | NfcInteractor.com

Additionally, if you have a Nokia Lumia, you can also write a Nokia Accessories Tag with Nfc Interactor. This tag format also allows you to launch any other app, through the Nokia Accessories app.

With the next updates, I'll add more information to Nfc Interactor about how to use the various message types, to make this a bit easier.

[igoramadas]

You can get the app ID from the web-based Windows Phone Store. I've written a short overview here:
Frequently Asked Questions | NfcInteractor.com

Additionally, if you have a Nokia Lumia, you can also write a Nokia Accessories Tag with Nfc Interactor. This tag format also allows you to launch any other app, through the Nokia Accessories app.

With the next updates, I'll add more information to Nfc Interactor about how to use the various message types, to make this a bit easier.

Nice app btw. Whenever I have some time I'll start messing around with NFC on my Lumia 920, planning to create a smart card app. I use smart cards at work (open doors) and at home (unlocking my server) so would be nice to be able to save card information on the phone so I use it to do all these things.

[SnailUK]

Brilliant. I intend to buy this app, and some tags once i've been paid.

Can we update settings with it? I love the idea of having Wifi On/Off tags & Bluetooth on/off tags.

[Xsever]

@mopius

Where can we buy compatible tags? None of the ones on ebay mention NDEF.

More info please as I am definitely interested in this.

[pvcleave]

I was a little disappointed after I read more about NFC tags on WP8. I was wanting to do some of the things they do on Android. Have work settings and home settings; volume and WiFi off at work, volume maxed and WiFi on at home. However, you would need a program that could run these that the NFC tag could launch and run, but there is no program like that (Nfc Interactor will not do this), and I do not think it is possible for a third party to write program to adjust these settings. I also do not think MS will ever write program for WP8 to do that.

Maybe by the time I get my yellow Lumia 920 that I order a week ago, there will be an app. :P

[darquan]

Excuse me for being ignorant I don't really know this technology. Would it be possible to add settings to phones such as email accounts server names and such so that organisations could easily set up workers phones for company email?

[alicechong7789]

@mopius

Where can we buy compatible tags? None of the ones on ebay mention NDEF.

More info please as I am definitely interested in this.

You can buy NDEF tags here: Buy NFC Tags, Stickers, Cards, Key Chains, Tokens | Bulk and Small Orders | BUYNFCTAGS.COM.

The NTAG chips are already NDEF formatted, you have to request NDEF on the other tags. Just don't get the Classic 1K tags, those won't work with Windows Phones.

[thePhiL]

hey, is it possible to have such a TAG in your car that enables Bluetooth if the phone connects to that tag? and turns it off if it will be removed? I need my bluetooth only in the car.

[andrewkeith5]

hey, is it possible to have such a TAG in your car that enables Bluetooth if the phone connects to that tag? and turns it off if it will be removed? I need my bluetooth only in the car.

I haven't tried it myself but this is the sort've thing I want to do.

From my understanding at the moment, you can't make it automatically toggle Bluetooth, but it should be possible to open an app like Wireless Shortcuts to make it much easier to change :)

[thePhiL]

I haven't tried it myself but this is the sort've thing I want to do.

From my understanding at the moment, you can't make it automatically toggle Bluetooth, but it should be possible to open an app like Wireless Shortcuts to make it much easier to change :)

Yes, and this app would be an automated bluetooth-activator app. (thats something than can be written very fast). Advantage: You close the tool, bluetooth goes off. Would be needed if its not possible to trigger on the dis-tagging from that TAG.

[Michael Weisberg]

Now this is something I could get interested in. Thing of the possibilities that one could do with the tags....put one on the door and as you walk in you can have pandora start, have lights turn on, etc...

[mopius]

@XServer: no specific recommendations I could give so far - my plan is to get in touch with some tag manufacturers and offer an easy way to buy tags that are sure to work with WP and have a good price right out of Nfc Interactor.


@SnailUK / others: right, Nfc Interactor is intended to be a generic tag reader / writer for all kinds of tags.

Modifying phone settings is not a standardized use case which would embedded into the operating system. As such, the existing Android apps use a custom, self-defined tag content format to store what the app should do when you tap the tag. So, if you write a task-tag with app A, you can only start the tasks through app A.

While Nfc Interactor can generally read those custom tags used by Android apps (and also write them if you know & set the right contents), the scope of Nfc Interactor doesn't include actually acting on a Nfc Interactor proprietary tag format to start tasks / modify settings in your phone.

But as this is one of the most commonly requested features, I might add support to Nfc Interactor, or (more likely) create another app that works for that specific use case and keep Nfc Interactor as a general & powerful tag reader / writer app. In general, WP is of course more limited / secure (depending on how you see it) than Android when it comes to the system settings that 3rd party apps can modify - but up to some level, it's possible.

Some more info: Frequently Asked Questions | NfcInteractor.com

[Tyresian]

hey, is it possible to have such a TAG in your car that enables Bluetooth if the phone connects to that tag? and turns it off if it will be removed? I need my bluetooth only in the car.

This is exactly what I wanted to do. Or better yet have a wireless charge pad with this ability integrated and once our camera lens is magnetic or whatnot, it should help hold it in place foe in the car. So the phone won't slip off and won't turn the function on and off unexpectedly.But if we don't get direct settings access... Launching an app would be ok... Or even right into the settings, but I'd rather have it directly do it if it would be reliable, since it already will prompt you to accept the NFC anyway.But in this use, I question something. So right now we have this issue with battery and supposedly NFC. So... Bluetooth I'd more useful than NFC to me. So should I just leave Bluetooth on all the time or NFC on all the time?

[philpeeps]

The old webOS phones with Touchstones had a pretty decent magnet and it still wasn't stable enough for consistent in-car charging.

[Undersky]

Dang, I was looking forward to putting tags in my apartment and at my workplace. I would love to come home, tap a tag, automatically checkin / share on Foursquare, turn off bluetooth, turn on wifi etc. And next to the bed, tap a tag to put it in silent mode and ideally start playing my Squeezebox (I know, that would be stretching it a bit, but a man can dream =) I was really hoping you'd be able to build macros that would be executed.

@mopius: If you could do somekind of app that would let us do at least a tiny bit of above, I'd be a happy camper.