Samsung Reveals TecTiles, Programmable NFC Stickers for Android Smartphones

Android smartphones with near field communication (NFC) have a new accessory to take advantage of the tap technology, which has been all but limited to mobile payments to this point. Programmable stickers with NFC dubbed Samsung TecTiles will be available for the Samsung Galaxy S III launch, and are open for users to program specific phone automations, which are then activated with a smartphone-to-sticker tap.

Samsung TecTiles are a little larger than postage stamps and are programmable via a free TecTile app in the Google Play Store. They are limited to certain smartphone functions however.

How It's Used
In practice, a user could program his or her contact information on a TecTile and put it on a business card. Other users with NFC-enabled smartphones could then acquire and load that information into their contacts with a quick tap to the sticker.

TecTiles can be programmed to change phone settings (movie theater could display TecTiles and have users tap to set their phones to silent mode), launch applications, join password-protected Wi-Fi networks, display a message, make a call, send a text, and check-in via Facebook or Foursquare, to name a few functions. TecTiles are reprogrammable and can be "locked" by the user to prevent outside users from making unauthorized changes.

TecTiles are open and functional with any and all Android smartphones that support NFC. NFC Android smartphones include the SIII, Galaxy Nexus, and HTC One X.

TechTiles cost $14.99 for a pack of five and are now available from AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, both in store and online.

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