A lot of really cool things have been coming out of the Google I/O conference this week, one of which is zero-touch near field communication (NFC) in the upcoming version of Android (name Ice Cream Sandwich). Engadget.com has a video of the demonstration where two Android Nexus phones share things with each other without having to press anything or start an app.
On the surface, that’s really cool. You don’t have to wait to fire up an app or wait for someone else to approve your request. However, how easy is it going to be to “pocket share” a web site or your contact information with someone you’re standing next to in line at the store. Or once NFC payments are a reality, how easy is it going to be to accidentally pay for someone else’s purchase or have your credit card information unwittingly shared?
I love new technologies and Google is usually pretty good about security, but has a bad history of neglecting privacy. I don’t want to be alarmist and I’m sure that this will have been thought through completely and tested before it is launched, but the questions always continue to linger.
Related articles
- Android 0-click NFC sharing demonstrated in Ice Cream Sandwich (video) (engadget.com)
- Google announces Ice Cream Sandwich for Q4 2011, for smartphones and tablets alike (engadget.com)
- Google Announces Android Ice Cream Sandwich (phonescoop.com)
- Google announces the next version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich (venturebeat.com)
- Ice Cream Sandwich, Officially Announced at Google I/O (slashgear.com)
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