I thought I'd order some smart tags to see what the first decent NFC apication I've come across can do.
Initially I was pretty impressed. Turn on NFC, wave the phone near a tag and Smart Connect pops up asking what you want the tag to trigger. Each event in Smart Connect has begin and end actions - begin is triggered by NFC detecting a tag and end is handled on the phone when you stop the event (there is Smart Connect item in the notification bar to make this really easy.)
So far so good, it's all really easy and slick to use.
The only problem is that the NFC detection only currently works if the phone screen is unlocked and on. This means if I want to leave a tag in the car to switch on my BT and start my navigation app, then I can't just get in and swipe the phone near it... I've got to unlock the phone first! Niggle!
For a first outing, this is still good so hopefully Sony will offer the ability to use tags without unlocking the phone at some point in the future.
Just thought I'd share in case anyone else is thinking of making a purchase.
On sgs3 it was the same as far as I remember and some custom roms had option in settings to work while screen off. Hopefully, for you, it will be ported/done for Xperia T also (aokp had that option and some other cm10 derivates)
Sent from my LT30p
If you want to take better advantage of NFC's potential, I'd recommend buying some generic tags and downloading NFC Task Launcher from the Play store. Generic tags are cheaper, has higher capacity, and NFC Task Launcher can do a lot more than Smart Connect. Combine it with Tasker and you can do some seriously cool ****.
yesyesimanoob said:
If you want to take better advantage of NFC's potential, I'd recommend buying some generic tags and downloading NFC Task Launcher from the Play store. Generic tags are cheaper, has higher capacity, and NFC Task Launcher can do a lot more than Smart Connect. Combine it with Tasker and you can do some seriously cool ****.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where can you get generic tags, any link maybe?
If my phone could trigger actions without being "under my actual monitoring" (On and unlocked) in reaction to NFC tags, I 'd consider that quite unsafe.
At least, there should be some kind of restriction system, like : you can trigger actions only on this particular list of "declared secure by the user" tags.
Maybe the software Yesyesimanoob (what a funny user name, sorry) speaks of can do it, i don't know.
Nickola
yesyesimanoob said:
If you want to take better advantage of NFC's potential, I'd recommend buying some generic tags and downloading NFC Task Launcher from the Play store. Generic tags are cheaper, has higher capacity, and NFC Task Launcher can do a lot more than Smart Connect. Combine it with Tasker and you can do some seriously cool ****.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had a bit of a scare when my mate who has an SGS3 swiped his phone near one of my tags and his NFC task launcher detected and reprogrammed my tag so I couldn't use it.
Luckily Smart Tag Maker on the Play Store can fix them but it's a bit crap if just anyone can reprogramme them.
vid200 said:
Where can you get generic tags, any link maybe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get mine from tagsfordroid.com (US). I don't really know international sources well enough to suggest a reliable one, sorry, but the tagsfordroid.com ones are just rebranded "Mifare Classic" tags, so you might want to look for that. They have about 700+ bytes of usable capacity, so you can put more on a single tag than the Sony ones (48 bytes).
---------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:24 PM ----------
emuX said:
Had a bit of a scare when my mate who has an SGS3 swiped his phone near one of my tags and his NFC task launcher detected and reprogrammed my tag so I couldn't use it.
Luckily Smart Tag Maker on the Play Store can fix them but it's a bit crap if just anyone can reprogramme them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about the Smart Tags as I don't have one, but NFC Task Launcher can make a generic tag read-only, so once you've programmed it, no one (including yourself) can reprogram it ever again.
---------- Post added at 04:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:27 PM ----------
nickola said:
If my phone could trigger actions without being "under my actual monitoring" (On and unlocked) in reaction to NFC tags, I 'd consider that quite unsafe.
At least, there should be some kind of restriction system, like : you can trigger actions only on this particular list of "declared secure by the user" tags.
Maybe the software Yesyesimanoob (what a funny user name, sorry) speaks of can do it, i don't know.
Nickola
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to be rooted to get NFC to work while the screen is off, and that's only available for certain devices right now, with a custom APK. Maybe it will come to the Xperia T eventually, who knows.
nickola said:
If my phone could trigger actions without being "under my actual monitoring" (On and unlocked) in reaction to NFC tags, I 'd consider that quite unsafe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed that blanket access for all tags would be bad so some sort of control would be required (e.g. You can enable certain tags to work without unlocking the phone - such as the Blue (car) tag.)
It is really cool but I have no idea how can it be used to make me convenient because before you scan the nfc tag, you should open your screen and unlock it.
niuzhd said:
It is really cool but I have no idea how can it be used to make me convenient because before you scan the nfc tag, you should open your screen and unlock it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works best when you want to trigger multiple actions. For example, when I get into my car, I swipe a tag to activate in-car mode, which involves:
- Maximize media volume
- Lower notification volume
- Activate gesture media controls (via a Tasker profile, or alternatively you can try the app Wave Control for this)
- Activate SMS reader/auto-responder
Swipe the same tag again before exiting car to disable car mode.
yesyesimanoob said:
Works best when you want to trigger multiple actions. For example, when I get into my car, I swipe a tag to activate in-car mode, which involves:
- Maximize media volume
- Lower notification volume
- Activate gesture media controls (via a Tasker profile, or alternatively you can try the app Wave Control for this)
- Activate SMS reader/auto-responder
Swipe the same tag again before exiting car to disable car mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using Smart Connect or NFC task launcher? (My smart connect doesn't switch the options off when you swipe a 2nd time.)
emuX said:
Are you using Smart Connect or NFC task launcher? (My smart connect doesn't switch the options off when you swipe a 2nd time.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NFC Task Launcher. It has an option to create a "switch", which will alternate between two series of tasks each time you swipe it. Of course this means you're writing more data to the tag, which the Sony Smart Tags are probably too small to contain and hence Smart Connect doesn't provide the option.
I ordered these: http://www.amazon.com/NFC-Tag-Bundl...qid=1350520268&sr=8-1&keywords=tags+for+droid
They came quickly despite not being Prime Eligible. The quality is very nice and I look forward to testing them out when I get my phone later this month,
2 pices:
Ebay link
In case anyone is interested, I worked out how to write protect my Smart tags so they can't be hijacked by anyone who wants to write to them.
First, you need to read the existing content. (I used NFC Tag Writer by NXP, as it allows you to copy the content straight to the clipboard.) I then used NFC Writer by Tagstand to write the same content again but with the write protect option set. I had to write the content twice to be able to write protect - first in the normal way (no option to protect) then again via history with the option to lock in top right of the screen.
I've now locked all mine so they will always be the correct IDs for SmartConnect.
nickola said:
If my phone could trigger actions without being "under my actual monitoring" (On and unlocked) in reaction to NFC tags, I 'd consider that quite unsafe.
At least, there should be some kind of restriction system, like : you can trigger actions only on this particular list of "declared secure by the user" tags.
Maybe the software Yesyesimanoob (what a funny user name, sorry) speaks of can do it, i don't know.
Nickola
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's called "Turn NFC Off". It's built into every Android with NFC.
dragon_76 said:
It's called "Turn NFC Off". It's built into every Android with NFC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not exactly. If NFC is OFF (and it definitely is on my phone), there is no reaction to any smart tag.
What I meant is, that there should be a possibility to specify a list of "user tags", the same way you can declare a Mac Addresses list on your WiFi access point/ISP router.
Anyway I've given up on using NFC.
Nickola
Smart Tags are much more beautiful than general ones...But may I ask how much u spent on them?I found them very cheap in local stores and thought that they were not original ones.
nickola said:
Not exactly. If NFC is OFF (and it definitely is on my phone), there is no reaction to any smart tag.
What I meant is, that there should be a possibility to specify a list of "user tags", the same way you can declare a Mac Addresses list on your WiFi access point/ISP router.
Anyway I've given up on using NFC.
Nickola
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NFC doesn't serialise chips. Any "user tag" could be cloned, passive devices being much more difficult than active. RFID, and NFC by extension, were designed to be simple. The fact that companies or individuals have chosen to use the technology in a way that may compromise security is irrelevant to the technology. Its biggest security feature is that it requires physical access within just a few centimetres, and it requires one device to be "smart" and know what to do with any information in a tag.
You can always put a little tinfoil hat on your phone to match your own...
To be honest, I never pay much attention to Smart Tag until I saw this thread, LOL
I have a bunch of NFC tag laying around the house, and it's time to put some use into them. school started and i want to be able to just scan my phone at the NFC tag and it will set up a reminder/notification to tell me if i have any homework for a particular period. the problem is i can't find a way to do it, and i really need help with that. thanks in advance.
Use nfc task launcher
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4
I have that app, and color note and tasker, but I don't know how to set it up or the actions that need to take place. Is it possible to make it so that everytime I touch that nfc tag, a memo is created or edit, and possibly displayed in the notification bar
I just bought a bunch of NFC tags, and I can't get them to write with the LG G2. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2457159 we were hijacking that thread so I moved it here.
Has anyone successfully written an NFC tag with any variant of the LG G2 (most notably the Verizon).??
What software did you use?
What type of NFC tags did you use?
I am wondering if there is either an incompatibility with NFC Task Launcher or with the TAGS I bought which are here
http://www.amazon.com/NFC-Tags-Anti-Metal-Waterproof-Compatible/dp/B00B42K5BM/ref=sr_1_4?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1380128869&sr=1-4&keywords=nfc+tags
Anyone have any thoughts?
I was able to write to a tag with Tag Launcher. It happens to be a tag I got through them. Using NFC Tag Info app, this is how it is identified:
Type A
NTAG203
NFC Forum Type 2 Tag
Maximum Message Size 142Byte
I just programmed it to put phone in Desktop dock mode.
jasonsf said:
I was able to write to a tag with Tag Launcher. It happens to be a tag I got through them. Using NFC Tag Info app, this is how it is identified:
Type A
NTAG203
NFC Forum Type 2 Tag
Maximum Message Size 142Byte
I just programmed it to put phone in Desktop dock mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What location on the phone was the tag.. maybe I just need to touch it to a different place.
dlang123 said:
What location on the phone was the tag.. maybe I just need to touch it to a different place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been playing with different locations. It seems to work best a quarter to a third up from the bottom. Sometimes is works near the buttons. I think the inductive charging coils on the Verizon version are blocking the NFC antenna.
Thanks, I'll try that again tonight before sending the tags back.
So apparently what I bought was :
MIFARE 1K
and not the NTAG203s...
going to try and do some research.. I have never looked into NFC tags before. Never been on my radar except the concept. Wonder if they are not compatible..
dlang123 said:
So apparently what I bought was :
MIFARE 1K
and not the NTAG203s...
going to try and do some research.. I have never looked into NFC tags before. Never been on my radar except the concept. Wonder if they are not compatible..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I vaguely remember when the Nexus 4 came out there were discussions about MIFARE and compatibility. I really don't knwo the details, but here's an article about it. http://www.andytags.com/nfc-tags-compatibility-issues.html#.UkNmQ8afjA0
Not sure where this phone sits in this issue.
Yeah, I think that they are not supported.
Supposedly the 4ks work on all phones, I Ordered some more.. will try them when they get here. But definitely these come up as unsupported.. what a bummer.
I also (blindly) purchased some MIFARE tags from amazon only to find out that they do not work. I get the error in NFC Task Launcher, "Could not write to this tag. It will still work, but you may see the chooser when tapping it." I did some research and found that these types of tags will work for simple phone automation tasks however, the task that I setup was a complex URL which will not work. Will be ordering some NTAG203 tags and will report back. Quick question, are the samsung tectiles NTAG203?
mjfan82 said:
I also (blindly) purchased some MIFARE tags from amazon only to find out that they do not work. I get the error in NFC Task Launcher, "Could not write to this tag. It will still work, but you may see the chooser when tapping it." I did some research and found that these types of tags will work for simple phone automation tasks however, the task that I setup was a complex URL which will not work. Will be ordering some NTAG203 tags and will report back. Quick question, are the samsung tectiles NTAG203?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stayed up way to late last night learning about NFC tags.. so NXP use to make all NFC hardware for phones, and they came out with the MiFare 1ks.. but they were proprietary.
Then when BroadCom made some NFC hardware for phones, they just used what the NFC specs were, which were the NTAG203s (they don't have a lot of memory, 130bytes or so) Topaz 512, and I read that the MiFare 4ks are also compatible.
Samsung's site identifies Tectiles as MiFare 1k. TecTiles 2 I think are, but I can not really find them or any info on them.
My 4ks were expensive, but I will let you know soon if they work.
Just to follow up:
Wanted to confirm that the NTAG203 tags are working with the G2 :victory:: I would post the link but I'm not allowed. lol
Cool. Now if we can find some Topaz and then I'll let you know next week about the Mifare 4k's.
You can get both NTAG203 and Topaz 512 at AndyTags - www.andytags.com
Apologies if it has been asked - didn't find it in a quick search. Anyone used a regular NFC sticker successfully instead of a 20 skip? I really like the idea but would easily make my own. I have tons of tectiles and NFC stickers just kicking around. Heck, even NFC keychains that I'm not using...
I haven't tried it, but if someone can scan a Skip with a phone without the Skip unlock we can make our own.
The Skip is a regular NFC chip with a code, I *think* it is '*motoskip########'
I forget the exact format, but that is close.
According to official docs, you can use non-Skip tags only if you've initially used a Skip tag to activate the app.
Sent from my Moto X
johnny grep said:
According to official docs, you can use non-Skip tags only if you've initially used a Skip tag to activate the app.
Sent from my Moto X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect they aren't white listing UUIDs in the app itself so it's either a payload on the tag (which should be fairly simple to replicate in theory) or they are calling home to verify UUIDs. I may have to buy one if I keep the moto x just to find out for sure which is accurate (if someone else doesn't first).
I got a SKIP and you can't scan it with the moto x because the skip app intercepts NFC read.
When I scanned the Skip with a SGS4 the tag payload was close to '*motoskip########'
But since I don't have an non-motox to test with at the moment I can't check right now.
Let me see if I can later. And the Skip comes with 4 tages, the clip on (which I lost on the first day, right after dropping my X) and 3 stickers.
As far as I know any of the 4 can be the master so you shouldn't need anything special.
If I remember correctly the tags are 64kb NXP NFC chips.
#LearnFromMyFail Don't buy a Cellphone while on Vacation
Yoshiofthewire said:
I got a SKIP and you can't scan it with the moto x because the skip app intercepts NFC read.
When I scanned the Skip with a SGS4 the tag payload was close to '*motoskip########'
But since I don't have an non-motox to test with at the moment I can't check right now.
Let me see if I can later. And the Skip comes with 4 tages, the clip on (which I lost on the first day, right after dropping my X) and 3 stickers.
As far as I know any of the 4 can be the master so you shouldn't need anything special.
If I remember correctly the tags are 64kb NXP NFC chips.
#LearnFromMyFail Don't buy a Cellphone while on Vacation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just for reference, you don't need *any* skip tags to set up skip. When you set up the NFC lock screen you get the option to tap your skip to enable. If you use a standard tag (I used an already encoded NTAG203) it will erase this tag and over-write the data set with the appropriate data set. This will then serve as your "master" nfc tag (it's also encoded as a skip tag).
The dump looks like it's an external mime: urn:nfc:ext:motorola.com:xring with a data set that is numeric (I haven't done any sort of testing to find any correlation between the payload, device id, uuid, etc but it's a numeric data set.
I downloaded the app NFC Writer from the play store and it let me blank the NFC tag on the cradle for my gear watch
Then I used the app Trigger to reprogram it. I figured I'll never need to pair it again now that I paired it to my phone and this way I can make it launch other programs and do other things instead. I have a sony bluetooth speaker with an NFC tag to pair it with my phone and I was able to do the same thing with it too!
I figured i would tell you guys since I'm sure you will think of really creative ways to use it
Sorry because I'm a new user xda won't let me post links to 3rd party sites so you'll have to search the apps yourself
hi, just on a sidenote, every time you update Gear manager software, or the Gear watch Rom, (the best ) is that you either reset watch when you update(clean install) or just update you need the cradle to pair ! (yes, you can manually pair also, but it is i found this to be more of a hassle and takes more time) So keep this in mind.
note8.0 for xda
How do you remove the NFC tag from the cradle?
sidhu.jaz said:
I downloaded the app NFC Writer from the play store and it let me blank the NFC tag on the cradle for my gear watch
Then I used the app Trigger to reprogram it. I figured I'll never need to pair it again now that I paired it to my phone and this way I can make it launch other programs and do other things instead. I have a sony bluetooth speaker with an NFC tag to pair it with my phone and I was able to do the same thing with it too!
I figured i would tell you guys since I'm sure you will think of really creative ways to use it
Sorry because I'm a new user xda won't let me post links to 3rd party sites so you'll have to search the apps yourself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may be better off using NFC ReTag instead because you don't need to wipe the NFC tag in order to define actions. NFC ReTag simply lets you define the actions when an ID is read....you can disable the actions if you ever wanted to revert your setup.
All-in-all, you will get the same end result without having to erase/overwrite the tag in the cradle.