Following on from the previous article on NFC phones, which you rather seemed to wonder about, here's another article on NFC and what it promises to offer us in the near future.

There have been a lot of predictions about the future over the years… everything from flying cars (I still think that’d be cool… The Jetson’s, anyone?) to the flop of remote shopping (it’s probably safe to say that Time is regretting that printed statement!). But I don’t think anyone could have predicted how heavily cell phones would play into our lives. Just a few short years ago cell phones were huge bricks that had only a black and green screen and only made phone calls. Now you can chat, text, shop, Facebook, tweet… and the list goes on and on and on. Cell phones have become such a staple in our everyday lives that it’s hard to imagine a time without them.

It should come as no surprise then that cell phones will soon be entering into the world of near field communication technology. What’s that, you ask? Basically, near field communication technology is the technology that allows you to make a purchase with your cell phone. And I don’t mean over the internet on a shopping website, either. I mean by simply holding your cell phone near another device equipped with near field communication technology you will be able to do just about anything.

Imagine walking into a coffee shop and purchasing your favorite latte. When it comes time to pay you don’t have your wallet with you… but that’s ok because you don’t even need it. You just hold up your cell phone and BAM! Coffee paid for and you’re good to go. It’s a little scary sounding, isn’t it? But it’s coming, and it’s coming quickly – a fact solidified by Google launching its Google Wallet technology on September 19 which is geared towards replacing credit cards with a cell phone app.

But it doesn’t just end with monetary transactions. Near field technology also allows user to interact via file sharing, gaming on cell phones (such as the popular Angry Birds app), electronic business cards, and friend-to-friend (for example checking in with people at different places on Facebook). The technology will open up even more doors into the world of social media and staying ever-connected. By using this type of technology we will eliminate the need for wallets and payment cards and really anything that requires more than connecting our cell phones. But it also makes you wonder if we’re making it easier for stolen account information and theft.

It’s likely that near field communication technology is going to surge in the next few years, and it will be interesting to see how the public reacts. We have become increasingly more lax in our approach to the privacy of our lives, but will cell phones acting as credit cards be a step too far or something that is warmly embraced? What do you think?

Author Bio: 
Kate Croston is a freelance writer, holds a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She writes guest posts for different sites and loves contributing cheap internet service related topics. Questions or comments can be sent to: katecroston.croston09 @ gmail.com.