Sticky notes provide a quick and easy way to write down snippets of important information — phone numbers, addresses, appointments, website URLs, and so on. But these colorful scraps of paper are low-tech tools in a high-tech world.
If you could design a modernized Version 2.0 of a sticky note, what characteristics would it have? It might be more durable, and water-resistant so it won’t become illegible if it gets wet. Maybe it’d be smaller, but with the capacity to store more text. Most importantly, the data it contains — letters and numbers are a form of data, after all — should be easy to access at a moment’s notice. These “advanced sticky notes” might incorporate some technology, but they shouldn’t rely on access to the internet or the power grid. And for the security-conscious user, these notes should be concealable in discreet locations and should offer optional password-protection to deter prying eyes.
Near Field Communication (NFC) tags serve as a compact, concealable, and versatile means of storing small amounts of data. Think of them as digital sticky notes — they can be bought by the dozen for a few bucks, programmed instantly with a smartphone app, and placed almost anywhere.
What is NFC?
Near Field Communication is a radio communication standard similar to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or RFID, but as its name indicates, it’s intended for extremely short range. NFC devices transmit on the 13.56 MHz frequency over a maximum distance of about 4 inches. NFC’s most common use is for contactless payment systems, which allow a chip in your credit card or smartphone to wirelessly transmit payment information to a nearby point-of-sale terminal. NFC tech can be used for countless other purposes, which we’ll discuss more below.
What is an NFC Tag?
This story is from the Issue 45 edition of OFFGRID.
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This story is from the Issue 45 edition of OFFGRID.
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