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It's the future of money, of sharing and of ticketing - and here's how it works
What is NFC?
Near Field Communication is a secure, short-range wireless technology that allows information to be exchanged between devices at very short distances. It's a subset of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), but differs by only working at distances of about 4cm or less.
Near Field Communication is a secure, short-range wireless technology that allows information to be exchanged between devices at very short distances. It's a subset of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), but differs by only working at distances of about 4cm or less.
Why does it matter?
NFC's ability to securely communicate with both powered and 'passive' targets makes it the perfect tech for turning your phone into a 21st century wallet, and more. Orange and Barclaycard's 'Quick Tap' system (see right) could be the beginning of the end for debit cards; a trial in New York recently let subway passengers use their NFC phones as travel cards, the next version of Android will allow users to share all kinds of data with a touch and the tech can also read smart posters such as Google's Hotpot' stickers. It's the future - just don't lose your mobile.
How it works
NFC's ability to securely communicate with both powered and 'passive' targets makes it the perfect tech for turning your phone into a 21st century wallet, and more. Orange and Barclaycard's 'Quick Tap' system (see right) could be the beginning of the end for debit cards; a trial in New York recently let subway passengers use their NFC phones as travel cards, the next version of Android will allow users to share all kinds of data with a touch and the tech can also read smart posters such as Google's Hotpot' stickers. It's the future - just don't lose your mobile.
How it works
When the NFC chip and its antenna loop pass into the terminal's magnetic field, an ' electric current is generated. This process, as physics boffins will know, is called magnetic induction'. The current then jumps between the antenna coils in both the phone and terminal, creating a secure link that allows them to communicate via short-range radio waves.
Anatomy of a 'Quick Tap' Purchase
1. First, link a Samsung Tocco Quick Tap (£60 PAYG, shop.orange.co.uk) to your Barclaycard, Barclays account or Orange PAYG credit at barclaycard.co.uk. You can transfer up to £150 (or a maximum of £100 in one go) to the phone via the Quick Tap app.
2. After informing the cashier that you wish to pay by Quick Tap -and allowing time for him to call his line manager to explain the system to him -touch your phone on the shop's contact-less terminal (known in NFC lingo as a'tag'). This is where the magic begins...
3. Thanks to the power of magnetic induction (see previous page), your phone and the terminal now have a secure, short-range connection. Providing your PIN number is optional at the moment as transactions are limited to £15, but when this rises you'll need to have tapped your PIN into the phone prior to touching the contact-less terminal.
4. Once the NFC connection is made your transaction info is whizzed over to Barclaycard's servers, coded in the same cryptographic algorithms used for Chip and PIN cards. Each code is specific to your purchase, so it can't be cloned for nefarious purposes.
5. Payment is authorized (or not) via the current payment network system, so mobile reception isn't required. The Tocco Quick Tap and the terminal confirm that payment was successful, and your phone gets your account balance from Barclaycard via the Orange mobile network. You leave the shop feeling more futuristic than Marty Mcfly in Hill Valley circa 2015.
Watch this video :
Share your experience of NFC in the comments below !
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