Android NFC sharing looks like what we want from Touch-to-Share [video] 77
It seems that the folks at Google were watching back in February when HP unveiled the TouchPad webOS tablet and its integrated Touch-to-Share technology. Yesterday at Google IO brought the announcement of an expansion of the NFC (Near-Field Communication) chip capabilities of Android smartphones: “0-click” sharing. While HP’s Touch-to-Share doesn’t use NFC tech, they are similar enough in concept (not execution), though HP is a step ahead in deciding to integrate it into their phones and tablets.
At Think Beyond and several times since, HP has demonstrated Touch-to-Share transferring a web address and loading a web page on the new device (e.g. view something on your TouchPad, tap the Pre 3 to it, and open the browser and load that page on the phone). Google went a step further in their demonstration of NFC sharing. They were able to transfer the requisite web address, but also shared contacts and links to apps in the market place from the app running on the host phone (both Nexus S smartphones). Additionally, they hacked together a frightening contraption that added NFC to a Motorola Xoom Android 3.0 tablet and used it to transfer a YouTube video from the phone to the tablet, picking right up where it left off on the phone. Video of it all is after the break (NFC demo starts around 14:20).
HP has hinted that they might have more up their sleeves than just web address sharing, and will be opening up a Touch-to-Share API for developers. Considering that all Mojo and Enyo apps are web-based, our feeble non-developer minds can see how it might not be that difficult to translate what’s on the screen into an easily shared web address. But what we really honestly want is a full transfer, where tapping your phone against the tablet (or vice versa) transfers everything you’re doing, not just the website or contact you’re looking at.
That’s where the difference between Android NFC and webOS Touch-to-Share is exemplified. A lot of what was demonstrated at Google IO could be classified as sharing between friends (send a contact, get this app, etc), whereas HP wants you to share between the webOS devices that you own. Touch-to-Share works as a combination of Touchstone-based “communications coils” and Bluetooth to handle the actual data transfer, as opposed to NFC which handles it all through one low-power chip and radio.
77 Comments
Good thing HP showed this off, and 3 months later, nothing capable of TTS is out.
And you think that something capable of that what Google has shown will be out in 3 months? ;)
I've just never been sold on this concept because people using just one mobile OS for both their phone and tablet is usually dependent on there being a content and app ecosystem to share, not URLs or phone calls.
That's not a knock on WebOS. Android is just starting to get up to speed with that as well.
I love WebOS.... But Im sick of this. HP is movin too slow and getting their lunch eaten...WTF?
But, this is where I DO agree with those who rip on HP continuously. Why would you show a feature to the ENTIRE WORLD (which includes your competitors) and then, not be ready to release it for 6 months??? You know darned well that the average person will see the android feature first and then say that HP copied it!
Just because HP showed us a card doesn't mean that they've shown their whole hand.
They better have a full house..
I would be ok with a royal flush
Agree....and that's because we see 300 Android phone commercials a day versus ZERO from HP.
The Veer launches in a few days and I've NOT seen a single TV ad for them.
In a study, 42% of buyers admit to purchasing items that they have recently seen advertised on TV.
I hate to break the news to you, but Google us using NFC to support their advertising ecosystem. The concept is to put NFC tags on ads in public places and allow someone with an NFC enabled phone (which will likely be all smartphones that come out by 2012)and placing the phone near the tag will open a URL allowing Google to generate more revenue. (Congratulations on becoming a tool for Google to make revenue!)
The TTS-like capability of NFC on phones to communicate with other phones and tablets is clearly an afterthought for Google long after generating ad revenue. Want proof? Check out how they wire the tablet and also understand that this is a feature of a future Google OS. So this is NOT going to be in ad or product before HP comes to market with the TouchPad/Pre 3.
Which means that HPalm is going to have to add NFC to it's phones by next year. HPalm is playing catch up here, that means it has to match new (important) Google features # for # while still adding and differentiating.
Conversations around people's phones happen like this "Hey look at this cool feature." "Oh, my phone can do that AND this." That spreads envy which fuels purchases.
If HPalm phones can't do 90%+ of what Google's can do (Apple, as far as features, is behind IMHO) then envy will be going from HPalm users toward Android users and not the other way.
Trust me....Apple is not behind in any features. Touch to share....have you ever heard of Bump? Apple has been allowing you to bump devices together to share contacts, apps, etc. for a couple years. Do you really think anyone that is in the Apple ecosystem will ever have Android envy....or for that matter, HP envy? Every feature that Android or WebOS talks about is usually already on iOS. The only advantage that WebOS ever had was multitasking, and that advantage died quite some time ago.
I say never for HP envy....they haven't proven themselves capable of even getting a product to market yet. So far, HP has unleashed one embarrassment after another. Considering they have no app ecosystem, the Touchpad, Pre3, and Veer don't really have a fighting chance. All I have to do is look at any iDevice and I realize that WebOS will never catch up. Netflix, HBO, Xfinity, TWC, Showtime, WatchESPN, Skype, Crackle, djay, Garageband, AlienBlue, Kindle.......the list goes on and on. These are not all **** and flashlight apps.....these are the apps that consumers that have smartphones DEMAND now! Launch your devices all you want, but until you can Skype over 3g, watch HBO and Showtime, use your cable service over your phone or pad device and stream netflix etc......you will never catch up to the ecosystem that has all of this and more.
I like real multi-tasking. iOS "multitasking" on my iPad is terrible.
yeah after having a pre, using my ipod touch seems can be frustrating haha. the same with android sometimes.
I think nobilo has an iRection for Apple stuff.
Everything you said is known here. That isn't the point. Nearly everyone has an Apple product today. People on this board don't want to buy into Apple's mandate. We're looking for something more. We want difference; we want competition; and we don't want to follow the herd. Apple's products have pros and cons just like any other device. It's ignorant to think otherwise. And, really, it's sometimes just nice to know that my phone has an open source base and a community that nurtures it.
You need to remove Kindle and I believe Skype from the list, both will be on the TouchPad. Also time will tell but HP has mention they are in it for the long haul.
Isn't that what they said when they entered the digital camera market? How is the way they are approaching phones (now) any much different? Just because they won a lot of market share and more importantly retail shelf space with pc's doesn't mean their size will do anything for a different line of products. Of course, if I am wrong then we'd probably see their phones wanted by all carriers and many who don't currently have webOS wanting to switch without little hesitation. The competition will take the best features and add them to their already better phones and soon-to-be better operating systems. That along with full app catalogs will ensure that HP fails in this venture. Oh, and don't think they way they are handling this won't eventually carry over to pc's, if HP costs retailers money in this venture.
1. Do Apple zealots troll the competition just so they can attack any Anti-Apple sentiment? If Apple is so great, then why do they feel the overwhelming need to do so... And with such venom...
2. Notice that I didn't mention Apps. I mentioned phone features, as in hardware. Android's hardware is blowing EVERYONE including Apple away.
3. When I first got my Pre on release day my girlfriend had Pre envy. She eventually dumped her iPhone for an Evo (and I had Evo Envy). So yes, objective Apple loyalists can feel envy. Zealots, on the other hand, feel anger and spew venom instead.
4. Noblio, have you ever owned a WebOs phone, or even an Android one? The only true advantage Apple has (and it's a HUGE advantage) is Apps and 3rd party support. That doesn't make them a better product. There are more Muslims on the planet then any other religion. Does that make them better? Christians outnumber everything else in the Western world. Does that make them right?
I said without venom that Apple was behind in features and even added "In My Humble Opinion". Why did that anger you so? That much anger usually comes from fear or jealousy... Since you're not envious, then what are you afraid of?
HP, Duh... Winning!!!
I really think Apple loyalists are just afraid of competition, trying to quell any voice that criticizes the iDevices' pitfalls. At least, that's been my experience with online boards. The criticisms don't even have to be directly attributed to Apple and their products. As soon as you insert an Apple device into a sentence, only praise better follow or the loyalists will send you to the gallows.
Still have two pre plusses....my wife uses one and has a backup. I jumped ship when the iPhone hit Verizon. Sorry, but to compare WebOS to Android or IOS is just laughable now. Beter software and vastly superior hardware in every aspect. I had my pre plus overclocked to 1000 and it was still slow compared to an iPhone 3G. I kind of doubt the pre three will even be as good as the iPhone 4, which will be last years news at that point.
Look, I sat there with angry birds, NY times, and about two other usable apps (google maps doesn't even work dude) for a year. I love homebrew and WebOS, but sorry....as an iPhone user now there is just no comparison.
And while webos may have a Skype app, will it do video chat with only 3G service? Android doesnt last time I checked....maybe they do now, but do you think the webs app will.....my guess is no, it will be voice only. I got tired of compromising for an OS that is becoming obsolete. If HP screws up with this initial phone and pad launch, webos will be officially dead forever.
The Nexus S was out in August....
Sorry, i meant December not august.
Palm kind of had this feature in the Treo phones but then abandoned when they created the Pre like many other great ideas the Treo had.
Palm had a chance to take this to another level in the Pre but decided not to until now - 5 years later.
I assume you mean the IR port which dates back all the way to the early Palm PDAs. Just a couple of days ago I couldn't find the remote for the cable box and whipped out my old Palm TX with NoviiRemote and just used that as my remote control.
Yes the IR Port on the Treos. But that was the beginning. There were studies of expanding this idea to what Google is doing now.
Why would Palm start from scratch? Or at least keep the good things that attracted people to the Treo besides the mini-me keyboard.
Yeah, I miss IR. Not only could you control your TV, it was a lot more secure than WiFi, bluetooth, NFC, and probably even TTS. Too bad it was never more widely supported beyond a few PDAs, accessories, and printers.
If the Pre had IR, I loved my treo with IR
just to clear things up. Google was working on NFC before TTS was showed off. The Nexus S was unvealed Dec-7 http://www.nearfieldcommunicationsworld.com/2010/12/07/35385/google-unve...
This is about '0-click' over NFC.
This is magnitudes better than touch to share. I never understood why HPalm decided to have the need to "touch" devices to share when you didn't have to do that with text messages or calls. Proximity is all that should be required. HPalm just got spanked.
Just another example among many why HP will flop with webOS.
I'd rather just touch the devices together rather then have to open an "App" on both devices to initiate.
I wouldn't want devices to automagically begin talking to each other when they got close. I may not always want this AND it would be battery draining to always be looking for another device. If it's not always searching then I'd have to initiate an "App" on both devices.
HPalm's way is much simpler. I still say they should have used NFC & Bluetooth to do it though so that HPalm could communicate with other brands of NFC phones.
Careful saying "app". Apple might sue you :P
It's for security reasons. You don't want your phone broadcasting information just because it is closer to another device.
Especially when you consider its only between two devices sharing the same profile.
Need to touch can be seen as an advantage.
Just because 2 devices get near each other doesn't mean that I want to transfer information.
Touching a particular part means that it is usually a deliberate act. This doesn't need further confirmation.
Personally I'd prefer touch (without confirmation) over proximity (and either confirmation or chance of accidental transfer).
I understand that TTS feature uses Touchstone base coils and BT. But does Touchpad to Pre 3 communication (sms and calls) require the Pre to be on the Touchstone? I'm thinking it does but wonder if its possible to enable it when its not on the Touchstone.
no it doesnt need to be on the touchstone, they just use that scenario for when you are at home and have your phone charging, but your phone could be in your pocket and you could be using your touchpad(like in one of the demos) and text and calls will come through
Heck HP can make make the TP or the Pre3 teleport us but if its not out whats the point!!!
If by any chance it did come out it better be on Sprint. HP is already walking a fine line of losing some of their most loyal Palm fans.
The idea isn't new. Sharing has been going on for years first with infrared and then with Bluetooth. Only the way it is implemented is something new. In fact NFC sharing is the same as the Bluetooth sharing the only difference is that instead of typing the 4 digit code you tap your phone.
I'm curious to know if NFC is something you have to leave enabled? will it consume more or less power than bluetooth?
Hopefully when I get the pre 3 (on Sprint) and the touchpad, I wouldn't want to leave bluetooth on all the time on both devices. I also wouldn't want to go into the menu and enable bluetooth every time i want to use touch to share.
Is NFC the way to go if you want to share info?
on my Pre Bluetooth doesn't use that much battery when it's on standby so I rarely turn it off. However turning it on and off is very simple. You don't even have to go to the menu just swipe down from where it shows the time at the top and then tap on Bluetooth to turn it off and on.
If there is one thing good about WebOS is its intuitive menus.
Hey thats "neato!" Oh wait, (only) webOS already has that!
Palm Junky was talking about "neato", the program on WebOS that allows users to share URL's between their WebOS phone and other devices. Either you didn't get his turn of phrase, or you didn't do your homework. Either way, ignorance isn't always bliss it would seem.
....Bump has been on Android and iOS for quite some time. You can also share links via app brain and chrome to phone rather easily.
I don't get why he thought no one but Palm had things like this.
Again, Why are we exited about anything HP is doing it is in the past by the time it comes out... I hate to say it but I am taking the next 22month (time for next upgrade) off of WebOs. In 2 years if its around and finally has up to date technology then I will come back, but I am a geek and old hardware doesnt excite me. I waited a extra with promises of they will make it right... I guess that was just more empty promises....
yes I have been holding out hope with my launch day Pre on Sprint and this is getting OLD!!!
come on HP get your butt in gear or you are going to loose even more people and don't just think, "we are HP we will be able to sell stuff"
I hate it but google is taking over the tech world - WAKE UP HP
SO what your saying is palm wasn't working on anything new other than the pre 2 which was outdated while it was being developed.
And when HP took over and made palm its own unit inside HP that instead of doing anything special they supersized the pre upgraded the same old like they did with the pre 2 and then mini me'd it. Oh and lets not forget the xeroxing of the ipad. Held and event showed all of it off for a "coming soon" release date.
HP scale my u know wut.
HP and Palm are pretty much hitting the reset button this year. I think that HP is off to a good start. But that is all that it is. Just a good start.
Here are some suggestions from me as for what to do over the next year.
1) You guys need to get to advertising like yesterday with commercials and product placements and things like this. Also HP needs a WebOS spokesperson that is always in the spotlight.
2) You guys need to release at least two more form factors: a smaller tablet form factor and a touchscreen only smartphone.
3) Bring back the hot apps competition.
4) Make the think beyond event you guys did in february an annual event. You guys need to be always thinking beyond and events like these are great ways to create buzz.
This is an interesting time right now and HP you still have time but you guys need to stake your claim and say we are here and we are a contender.
I +1 your comment because everything you said is viable and true.
I concur, I've often thought that HP should have rebranded all of it's portables (not laptops) to the HP Palm brand. It's easier to create an Icon around a Palm then around an HP. People say Palm and see either a tree or a hand. There is no visual to HP. The HP logo is boring and doesn't exude, cool or even interesting. It's brand is for corporate America, not middle America.
Along this same line they need a more consumer friendly brand Icon and Spokesperson. They need a Jobs or a Gates type personality. Apotheker needs to up his casual magnetism game, or they need to hire a front or hype man.
They need to contribute $$ and/or man power to converting the most popular SmartPhone apps. They need to put $$ and manpower into creating cool new apps and toys (http://ardrone.parrot.com/parrot-ar-drone/usa/).
Finally, they need to give Pre3's or the Pre Slates to all the Sprint loyalists out there who have had their Pre's for almost 2 years. We are your biggest cheerleaders, give us something to cheer about (Google just gave away 5,000 Samsung tablets. How many customer's have had there Pre's for more than 18 months? HP could afford to do this and think about the media attention this unprecedented action would get.)
I'm thinking that looks very unfinished. Touch-to-share will be here first. And from what I can tell in this video better!
How could you possibly say that touch-to-share from what you can tell in this video is better, when all we have seen from touch-to-share is a slow transfer of a currently viewed website?
"Touch-to-Share works as a combination of Touchstone-based “communications coils” and Bluetooth to handle the actual data transfer, as opposed to NFC which handles it all through one low-power chip and radio."
Not according to the presentation, 0-click use NFC and Bluetooth to transfer data
My wife left her Sprint Blackberry for EVO, and a month later I left my Palm Pre for Evo. I am an average user no clocking or anything else, dont even understand what it is or what it does, but I do like my phones with gadgets. To me the Web OS platform is better than Android. I dont think I will go back to my EVO, but I am eagerly awaiting and praying that Sprint finally gives me a chance to upgrade my Pre. ps. My 10 year old now has a new EVO. Waiting for Pre 3 and Tablet. thanks for reading.
No reason to complain about Google/Android exploring/developing sharing solutions through NFC. Both HP's "touch to share" and NFC has it's advantages and disadvantages which means that we may very well end up with both technologies in HP's phone/tablet offerings.
The process of pairing has advantages that is very useful when you own more devices or wish to control which devices that are allowed to share stuff. This means it will work well for single persons switching devices wether it be private, in corporate environment or wherever.
NFC on the other hand work well when your device communicate with devices that are public or other friendly foes. In those cases you bring them together to send/exchange information. Like if you would like to buy a ticket on the metro-station, pay your restaurant bill or some of the purposes Google in the video did show us.
I can't see why these technological approaches should be considered negative for any consumer including those on past, present and future webos devices.
Android: "Yea, but our NEXT OS will work!"
Microsoft: "Look at me! I'm cool too! Hey! I'm over here! Are you looking? I'm cool!"
Apple: "Of course we're cool. We've always been cool,and always will be. All the hot chicks want us."
c'mon HP.
you all keep under-estimating hp, and down playing them, your **** won't get **** !! i don't understand why are all you **** think you know everything about technology and you don't know **** if you don't like what hp's cooking or can't wait, then there's the door. every little news that comes out, you all get frantic and talk bad about hp. move on muthafuckas
what do you own HP or something? what a loser #smh
we won't know if HP is playing it right until the new hardware and OS is released...if they release the new devices and OS with a lot of quality internal apps, then they're moving in the right direction, they're previous SDKs were way to restricted and did not provide developers to create a lot common apps similar to IOS and Android (no public camera, mic, bluetooth, etc. APIs, or allowing code contatining calls to them publishable in the app store), leaving the app catalog to suffer, if they don't let the developers access them, they better make them themselves...I havent looked at the 3.0 SDK yet, simply because the devices aren't out yet, nor will all of them have 3.0 when released...what HP/Palm needed to do was make tool or framework that made converting either IOS or Android SDk based apps to WebOS simple, but alas...
this is the reason you don't boast a product and new features "6 Months" before you actually release it. Other companies steal the idea. :-/
Or - - - You could be "As Cool as Apple", and actually release the Products 2 weeks after you announce them.
Or be as Cool as HP, and give everybody the opportunity to copy you (Playbook, “0-click” sharing, etc) while you leave your customers in the lurch.
looks like a copy cat to me
Ya know, I am SO sick and tired of this "they stole X from webOS". Do you guys REALLY think that HP/Palm is the only innovative company out there? Sorry, Android did NOT steal this from webOS.
You want to know the truth? Can, you HANDLE the truth? HP stole it. Not only the concept but the NAME as well. Here is an article from Nov 6th, 2009 -- a mere 3 months after the original launch of webOS that describes Nokia's 6612 that offers this capability via NFC and even calls it "Tap-To-Share".
http://www.knowyourcell.com/news/353627/nokia_6212_classic_delivers_tapt...
On the subject of Touch To Share Tech, I would like to see touch to share enabled for file transfers so you can move files back and forth wirelessly. Also they should build the touch to share technology into their new WebOS enabled PCs. That would be cool.
If they didn't boast, or update us, a lot of people would probably be moving to different carriers because of not getting a pre upgrade from Sprint, or just upgrading their phones, getting an I-Pad etc. I started with the 600 and have been sold ever since. I wont switch carriers for the phone, I get a discount at Sprint, but I did switch to an EVO because I was tired of my outdated pre with no flash player. The Web OS is what brought me back. To me, it is way ahead of the Android's OS. I am not an Iphone fan even though I do have an Apple laptop. (mainly for GarageBand). Sprint needs this.
After the way they treated and were treated with the Pre, they need to make ammends. No phone upgrade, no anything for us on the Spring network.
I will not be worried about Android or any other system unless they can do multi-tasking as great as Web OS. Until they do that, you will be able to keep loyal fans like us, who will trade millions of apps for ease of use. The cards, or apps, that I use for my Pre are good, and it is not like we arent creating more all of the time. Those of us that have the original Pre's on Sprint are the ones suffering, if we can continue to use those, then the other people with great devices such as the Pre Plus and Pre 2 should be fine to wait for the Pre 3 and Touch Pad to happen.
Unsure whether my Samsung Galaxy S 2 has a true multitasking OS but by f**k it flies along at a pace and out of the box it has everything and more...gimme a touchstone charger and I will be even happier.
...and on a side note the Samsung Galaxy S 2 will never get NFC am I worried ... not one bit.
Red.
The biggest flaw where TTS is concerned is how it snubs NFC. They did it to prevent other products interacting with HP products, to build a walled fence around their hardware, where as NFC promotes interoperability, TTS restricts it.
I'm not so sure it should share *everything*. That seems like cruising for a 21st century form of pickpocketing! For example, I think it would be a good idea to ask for confirmation if you are on a secure site.
Sounds like a good way for someone to steal yer details whilst ya just walk on by...TTS at least means ya gotta be up close and personal... I do hope there is some mad encryption on NFC otherwise it not gonna be taken up by the masses...whether Google wants it or not.
Red.