Raj Agrawal – Page 25

NFC Technology – Everything You Need To Know

March 1, 2012 by Raj Agrawal 1 Comment

UPCOMING TECHNOLOGY – NFC Technology (Near Field Communication Technology) will bring in the ‘next level’ convenience and sensibility to the way we exchange information. This technology can easily be scaled up to many areas of applicability, which is what makes it another add-on into the list of ‘Next-Big-Things’. Now, lets look at some of the key aspects of NFC Technology including what it is, how it works, NFC in the market place and it’s future.

nfc-technology-bluebite — *Image credit – BlueBite*

What is NFC?

NFC stands for Near Field Communication and as the name suggests, the key for this technology lies in devices being in close proximity or contact with each other. Once devices have established the proximity, which is enabled very quickly (0.1 sec), the communication is enabled. The distances in terms for NFC must be very small, usually less than an inch and as such it is different from comparable communications like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for which there are natural comparisons.

**How NFC Technology works**

Near field Communication operates through short wave radio transmission. Devices that operate NFC technology like smartphones or PDAs, are equipped with an NFC chip. The process of communication between the chip in one device and the chip in another device is an electronic process called inductive coupling. This coupling is a development of an earlier technology, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). With RFID, the technology had a ‘send and receive’ process and was used in a one directional format. NFC takes this process to the next level and allows two way communication between NFC Technology enabled devices.

NFC in the Marketplace

The current scope of NFC services is in its infancy in terms of market launch and proliferation. The global range of the product is sporadic and there are a variety of test locations which have embraced this technology, the key markets of USA and Japan are showing a steadily growing rise in the number of transactions as the technology takes hold. In recent surveys, a growing number of people have stated that they would much rather pay using their phone than carry cash. The scope is of demand is being trialled in some key market areas in Europe and Asia with a growing body of evidence revealing general product in performance in France, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and Tanzania.

France offers the earliest evidence of information with NFC technology in operation, during the early May 2010. There, NFC has been used for purchases of civil services like transportation information and ticketing, similar services have been used for the system in South Korea from later in that same year. More recent progress of the technology can be seen in Turkey where, from early 2011 in Turkey up to 55,000 separate retail processes could be operated using the system. A more limited facility (15,000 outlets) mainly through banks and mobile phone companies has been in evidence in the UK through 2011 and Tanzania.

The statistical data on the number of Near Field Communication transactions globally illustrates a growing trend for usage, but one which is only at the tip of the iceberg if general predictions are to be believed. According to statistics released by Juniper Research Visa has issued 20,000,000 NFC enabled cards and Google Wallet can currently operate at 311,000 locations globally. Predictions for the number of transactions to be made using NFC devices over the coming couple of years show a sharp increase to a plausible 50,000,000 global transactions by 2014. The bulk of these will occur in Europe, US and Asia.

Brands already incorporating NFC

It is also estimated the more than 1/10th of the smart phones sold globally were NFC ready devices with many of the major brands including Blackberry, Nokia, Google and Samsung employing the technology in a range of their handsets. In addition to the handsets. the technology is a part of MasterCard and it can even be found in the Wii controller. Although this claim is yet to be verified, it is rumoured that Apple has come on board and has planned to have NFC as part of iPhone 5 and iPad 3.

Emerging markets

The growth of NFC technology is not limited to developed markets either with the rise in usage occurring in a number of emerging markets. A recent report for Financial Firm Citigroup stated that there were,

40 million mobile money users exist in Africa – the lion’s share of this is attributable to the over 20 million users of Safaricom’s M-Pesa offering in Kenya.
A further report by Communications Commission of Kenya highlighted this growing trend,
The continued growth is an indication of subscribers’ preference to mobile money transfer, which could be attributed to accessibility and affordability even to low-income earners who form the bulk of the unbanked population.

The Future of NFC

Near Field Communication is here and set to be the next big thing. Watch out for stores in your locality promoting the use of paying by handset. With key players like Google and Apple preparing themselves for this market, it is inevitable that the NFC Technology (with the era beginning with NFC Phones) will become a part of our society.

Is The Rumored Xbox 360 Integration With Windows 8 A Good Idea?

February 27, 2012 by Raj Agrawal Leave a Comment

Windows 8 is going to be a very unusual operating system. The main crowd Microsoft seems to be targeting are the ones who fancy touch systems, over the traditional mouse-keyboard layout. And as we know, most computer users the world over prefer the mouse keyboard layout. Then how does Microsoft expect users to switch over to Windows 8, when Windows 7 is still already capable and popular? If the rumors are to be believed, Microsoft might have realized this potential flaw in the strategy, and might be trying to pack a bigger punch by integrating the Xbox 360 into Windows 8. But, is it a good idea?

If you’re a PC user, of course it is. There may be many instances where you might have wanted a particular exclusive on your PC, or the game might have been designed with the Consoles in mind, and must have been an abysmal port on the PC, of which there are many. Well, now you can enjoy all those games without having to buy a new Console. If the rumors are true, then there might be no reason for a PC gamer to buy a Microsoft Console, at least until the next Xbox comes out.

One thing really puzzles me; where does Microsoft benefit from all of this? It’s not like Microsoft suddenly woke up with an earth shattering epiphany to give back something to the society. That never happens. Epiphanies are the result of gradual behavioral change, and nothing Microsoft has done recently has been suggestive of the same. They obviously might be trying to lure people into switching over from Windows 7 by using the Xbox integration as a marketing tool. Even then, wouldn’t it be kicking yourself in the foot? The PS2 still sells a respectable amount of units worldwide, and there’s no reason not to believe that the Xbox 360 will keep selling even after the Xbox 720 arrives.

The only logical reason I can think of is the royalties that Microsoft will earn from each game sold – they’ll be pure profit. This money won’t go into making systems at a loss, which was the case with the Xbox 360. Here, people are basically getting a Console and a PC for the price of a PC. Many people who download pirated versions of Windows might be tempted to prefer an original copy, since Microsoft will obviously employ some sort of protection to ensure that pirates will not be able to use the Console. Still, leaving an entire brand as redundant doesn’t seem like a pragmatic decision, whatever the benefits might seem.

All this leads me to believe that this rumor will not see the light of reality. There may be some sort of compromise though, like many of the 360 games coming to the PC. But, I don’t see Microsoft giving away a free Xbox 360 with every copy of Windows 8 it sells.

The Most Entertaining Games Of 2012 [ iOS]

February 22, 2012 by Raj Agrawal 1 Comment

The iPhone has become an important handheld games system to even rival the established platforms such as the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PSP. Apple has unexpectedly won a substantial share of the casual gaming market and has managed to attract major production houses and hobbyist developers. Fuelled by the surge in iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch customers, the iOS games market is going from strength to strength. So here’s our recommendation on five of the most enjoyable iPhone Games Of 2012.

Infinity Blade 2

Developer: Chair Entertainment Group

Price: £4.99 from iTunes

Infinity Blade II builds on the stellar success of its immensely popular predecessor, but sticks to the same winning formula of challenging swordplay, ghastly enemies and beautifully rendered 3D cut scenes. The stunning visuals throughout the game make a strong impression, and it’s obvious considerable effort has been made to utilise the graphical capabilities of the iPhone 4S.

Infinity Blade 2 continues the story arc – with the powerful God King defeated, the main character Siris must explore exquisitely rendered environments and vanquish a selection of hideous foes. Every enemy defeated gains you Experience Points which can be used to upgrade weapons and armour, and eventually acquire the Infinity Blade. The touchscreen controls are used to great effect and there are dozens of new weapons, collectible items and several play modes. Although the first game was criticised as being too easy, the countless new features and improvements in Infinity Blade II should help to extend its longevity considerably.

Gameplay Video:

Cut The Rope

Developer: Chillingo Ltd

Price: £0.69 from iTunes

Cut The Rope is one of those simple but maddeningly addictive little games that really shines on the iPhone. The objective is to feed candy to a tiny green monster called Om Nom, but the candy is attached to ropes that you must cut at just the right time and place to collect stars and advance to the next level. As you progress throughout the game, the challenges become fiendishly hard and there are ever more obstacles to overcome.

Like many iPhone games, the concept is basic but it works well on the small screen. Cut The Rope is a polished and hugely playable game, and the countless extra levels to unlock and hidden items to collect ensure that you’ll be playing it for many months.

Gameplay Video:

Where’s My Water?

Developer: Walt Disney

Price: £0.69 from iTunes

Where’s My Water? is a lovingly crafted physics-based puzzle game from Disney, and one of the most popular games for the iPhone. The objective is simply to get water to Swampy the alligator so he can take a bath, by digging a route for it to flow through the rocks above and collecting strategically places rubber ducks along the way.

The idea is basic, but it’s not always straightforward and it can be extremely frustrating to figure out how to complete each level. Disney’s trademark cartoon look is apparent throughout, and the game should appeal both to adults and children.

Gameplay Video:

Galaxy on Fire 2 HD

Developer: FISHLABS

Price: £6.99 from iTunes

Galaxy on Fire 2 HD is an astounding 3D space combat and trading game that has an interesting storyline, dozens of varied missions and simply gorgeous visuals. The new HD version has considerably improved high-resolution graphics compared to the original Galaxy on Fire 2, and takes full advantage of the A5 processor in the iPhone 4S. Most of the action is presented in a third-person perspective behind your ship (as the role of unlikely hero Keith T. Maxwell), except when docked at space stations where you must interact with other characters to discover missions and earn money once completed.

The Galaxy on Fire series demonstrates the vast potential of the iPhone as a platform for complex games, with great graphics and intricate gameplay mechanics. While many people are drawn to the well known casual gaming hits such as Angry Birds, Galaxy on Fire 2 represents a quantum leap in graphics and interaction, and will surely appeal to anyone that enjoys the old-time PC classics such as Elite and Freelancer.

Gameplay Video:

NFL Flick Quarterback

Developer: Full Fat Productions Ltd

Price: £0.69 from iTunes

NFL Flick Quarterback is the latest sports game attempting to cash in on the popularity of American Football. While it’s appeal may not be immediately obvious to UK gamers, the combination of behind-the-player camera angles, accessible gameplay and great graphics means it’s sure to find a few new fans.

Choose your favourite team and, as the team quarterback, simply flick the ball to make a variety of ambitious passes. The controls are intuitive and, despite a few fumbles, overall NFL Flick Quarterback satisfies as an accessible introduction to the complexities of American Football.

Gameplay Video: