NFC chips haven’t really taken off in the US yet. Overseas people use the Near Field Communication technology to use their smartphones as credit or debit cards. But in the US, they aren’t common enough to use very often even if you have a phone with an NFC chip and Google Wallet installed.
But Barnes & Noble could be one of the first US companies to do something moderately useful with an NFC chip. The company plans to add NFC capabilities to future NOOK eBook readers.
CEO William Lynch revealed the plan in an interview with Fortune.
Here’s how it could work. If you have a NOOK you can walk into a Barnes & Noble store, walk up to a book on the shelf, tap your NOOK against the book and read reviews or other information, or get a link to purchase the eBook edition.
In order for that to happen, Barnes & Noble will need to do more than just add NFC chips to its eReaders. The company also plans to work with book publishers to add NFC chips to hardcover books so they can interact with your device.
via The Verge
The NFC ecosystem that B&N will use will likely not be Google Wallet. It will be what consortium/alliance Microsoft will back.
Android tablets with NFC and running ICS can be counted on one hand. Â No wait, I don’t even need the one hand. Â I’m not sure what the holdup of NFC in the US market is…