It has been a significant week for Microsoft, from the announcement of the company’s Surface tablet computer, (and its unique cover/keyboard) to the unveiling of Windows Phone 8. We assess the impact of the news (and the mysterious way Microsoft delivered it) in our weekly news wrapup on this week’s GeekWire radio show and podcast.
Then we dive into the world of Near Field Communication, or NFC, the short-range wireless technology that allows for quick and automatic data transfer between devices, such as our phones and cash registers.
It’s one of the key technologies behind mobile wallet apps being developed by many of the major tech players, but it also has implications for many other things we do in our lives.
Our guest in the studio is Michael Manley, a Seattle-area tech veteran and consultant who was involved in the recent Lexus ad in Wired magazine that let readers tap an NFC-enabled Android phone to the magazine page to connect to get a demo of the in-car technology on their phones.
We talk about the basics and get a sense for where NFC is headed, and discuss some of the privacy implications as the technology spreads.
App of the Week: War Games WOPR for Android and iPhone. (Thanks to Kevin for the tip.)
Name that Tech Tune: Answer to last week’s contest: Knight Industries Two Thousand.
Listen to the show above or directly via this MP3 file.
