Magnetic messages could be next after NFC

Sending a message or data using 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Infrared or Bluetooth is pretty common today. NFC is another technology that came in, but the possibility of storing secure and communicating higher data is restricted.

According to New Scientist, Vassilis Kostakos and colleagues at the University of Oulu in Finland have tapped into a possibility of using the smartphone’s magnetic compass or magnetic sensor to receive data. The procedure is pretty simple and straightforward. Electromagnetic pulses near the magnetic sensor can induce the voltage (signals) into the sensor and this in turn is converted into data.

A regular NFC can be read at a maximum distance around 20 centimetres, but the electromagnetic waves can be used only at distances of maximum 2 centimetres. This makes it more secure and safe to exchange data since NFC can be hacked at small distances too.

The development is yet in an early stage and there is more to be worked upon. The team will reveal more plans and developments in September at the annual ubiquitous computing conference in Seattle, Washington.

Check out a demonstration of the magnetic messaging in the video below

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