iPhone RFID prototype is very cool
iPhone RFID: object-based media from timo on Vimeo.
Some things are really cool. Object-based RFID media for the the iPhone is one of them. The video above is a prototype demonstration of how this could potentially work. Basically, there's a small "tag" inside a physical object that triggers an iPhone action when it's in range via the attached RFID/NFC reader. In the demonstration it can be seen playing videos, launching podcasts, etc. Our favorite is that the phone begins playing home movies when moved within range of the little house.
This is full of potential. Could other actions be triggered, like send an email or open a web browser? What if, as the developers ask, the iPhone could send actions instead of perform them? Some really fun things could result.
Some bad as well. It seems like a marketer's dream come true, and I have this nightmarish vision of walking through the mall as my iPhone has a freakout. But let's look at the positive: Gaming, playing with toys and sharing media could get a whole lot more fun.
Update: You can get more info on this from the developer's weblog.
