We've all tried sending files over Bluetooth in the past, right? There's the hassle of finding out what each device is 'called', then there's the lengthy, and often near-impossible pairing process that never seems to end. Then, if you're lucky and the moon is on the correct phase, you're standing on one leg and have had eggs for breakfast, it might work. Google knows Bluetooth sharing is troublesome, that's why they're adding a feature to Android 2.3.3 that they believe will smooth things over nicely, write PocketNow.
Harnessing the power of NFC (or Near Field Communication for the acronimically-challenged) Google intends to make the whole process less painful. The idea is rather simple really: use NFC's ability to 'scan' an item, such as another mobile phone, and then use Bluetooth to actually do the transfer. The beauty of going this route is that all the security of device names and pairing codes is replaced by a simple 'scan' or 'bump'. The whole thing can be done with minimal user-interaction.
The downside to all this? Well, currently the only handset that could support all the NFC/Bluetooth hotness is Google's own (Samsung) Nexus S. Fortunately more NFC-equipped handsets are due very shortly, with last week's Mobile World Congress full to the brim with handsets itching to bump into each other.
Could NFC with Bluetooth integration get us all rubbing our phones together, or is it just easier to email files as we do now? Time will tell, but bravo to Google for once again solving a problem that most of us didn't even realize we had. That's good, right?
Android 2.3.3 is currently in testing with developers, so keep your eyes peeled for an update if you're lucky enough to have a vanilla Android handset.
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