Apple’s vision of the future
Everything is just going to happen.
If you have been following Apple for a bit you would know that they aren’t too fond of NFC technology … and if you haven't been following Apple, well, they aren't too fond of NFC. In the event that you don’t know what NFC is I’ll quickly elaborate.
NFC stands for Near Field Communication. Essentially NFC allows you transfer/send information, such as files, images, settings, etc. to another NFC chip/device just by placing the two on top of each other. These chips can be put in phones, speakers, computers, and just about anything where you can fit a no power chip. You may recognize the use of NFC from sharing photos on Android by putting two devices together to share a picture or by select stores that support Google Wallet which allows you to pay just by tapping your phone to the store’s POS terminal.
By now you’re either wondering why Apple won’t implement NFC into any of their products or you know what I’m about to mention next. iBeacons.
What are iBeacons? They are Apple’s controversial alternative to NFC that I personally think when implemented well, will be far superior to NFC. Instead of a new dedicated chip, iBeacons runs off Bluetooth Low Energy. Unlike NFC iBeacons can be triggered by just being near a ‘bluetooth hotspot’. So, instead of tapping two phones together to share a picture you just tap the nearby person’s profile picture when hitting share. Or, say you are purchasing something with whatever mobile wallet service comes from Apple, instead of pulling out your phone and tapping the POS terminal, the seller would see your profile picture on his/her terminal when you arrive at the terminal. I can imagine the only thing the user would do is confirm the purchase (verbally or the same way we confirm purchases with credit cards today).
There is one more thing I need to present to you, so you can fully understand my opinion of what I think Apple’s vision of the future is.
Last week the website Patently Apple uncovered a really amazing wireless charging patent from Apple. Before I elaborate on this patent let me get something out of the way. Take Apple patents with a grain of salt. Apple files numerous patents for things that never ever happen. But there is something about this patent that’s different. If this ever sees the light of day it can be as big, if not, bigger than multitouch.
So what is this crazy patent? Like I mentioned before it’s a wireless charging patent. But this isnt like the wirless charging that is currently on the market that requires you to place your phone on a mat instead of traditionally plugging it in. This is different, much different.
Imagine walking into your home and your phone instantly starts charging. No mats, cables, hassle or even thinking about plugging in your phone. It just starts charging straight from your pocket.
How would this work? The patent describes this functionality as having a Near Field Magnetic Resonance chip in something like an iMac and having it wirelessly charge your keyboard, mouse, iPod, or a portable computing device (like an iPhone). Instead of placing your phone on a mat or plugging it in, it would start charging when it is within a certain radius of a wireless charging ‘hotspot’.
Imagine having NFMR chips not just in an iMac but in many things like lamps or simply having a wireless charging base station (like a router) to transmit the wireless charging signal.
Now imagine walking into a store and purchasing something over iBeacons without pulling out your phone. While you are in the store your phone was charging without you doing anything. Then you go to your car and with iBeacons your phone knows you’re in your car and launches the music app, without you doing anything, because your phone knows that you like to listen to music in your car. While you’re driving your phone is charging without you plugging it in because it recognizes the wireless charging hotspot in your car. Now you’re home and with iBeacons your phone recognizes you’re home and automatically tells your iBeacon connected door lock to open up, without you touching a key. Then because you’re home iBeacons turns on WIFI and your phone begins charging without you touching anything. Now you put down your iPhone and pick up your iPad and head to the kitchen, with iBeacons your iPad knows to open up your cooking folder without you doing anything. Then you go to bed. With iBeacons your phone knows that because you’re in your room by ‘this and this’ time you need to wake up at ‘this’ time, without you doing anything.
I think you get what I’m trying to say. If correctly implemented everything will just happen. Unlike with NFC, there isn’t any unnecessary interaction between you, your device and the task.
I really believe that this is Apple’s vision of the future. This is their end goal for iDevices.
What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Feel free to way in on Twitter, @_mlevi
I have no affiliation or anything to do with Apple. These are just my thoughts and opinions. Thank you.
