sony xperia ‘smart tags’ use NFC technology to consolidate common phone functions

sony’s xperia ‘smart tags‘ let users consolidate common phone actions together, achieving with a single swipe a series of tasks. the devices use near field communications (NFC) technology and are compatible with any NFC-ready android phone.

users can easily program each ‘smart tag’ with a set series of behaviours. then, by placing the tag in a convenient location and swiping the phone when nearby, (s)he can enact that set of actions. for example, a tag hung in the car may be programmed to– when swiped– automatically launch GPS and turn on the phone’s wifi. upon entering his workplace, perhaps the user swipes a second tag to silence the ringer volume but launch the calendar application. at night, a tag near one’s bedside table could automatically launch an alarm application and disable wifi, bluetooth, and GPS to conserve battery.

the product takes advantage of the idea that we tend to group certain phone actions together, and that these behaviours are often context-specific.

produced in red, white, blue, and black, ‘smart tags’ are expected to be available in late spring of 2012, retailing around 30 USD for a set of four tokens.

sony NFC smartTags full view of the tags

video demo of ‘smart tags’

via cnet