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Near-field comms gets 'peer-to-peer' data sharing spec

NFC gadgets to swap info at a touch

Devices that support near-field communications (NFC) now have a way to exchange information. The NFC Forum this week published a specification for "bi-directional communications between NFC-compliant devices".

The peer-to-peer technology is called the Logical Link Control Protocol (LLCP) and it allows the two devices to send each other data during the brief moment they are brought into close proximity.

The kind of application the NFC Forum has in mind: "The exchange of electronic business cards, the transfer of a Web URL from one phone to another, or the initiation of Bluetooth communications."

The spec allows devices to exchange in both confirmed links - where the two devices handshake to establish a reliable connection - or fire-and-forget transfers where transmission but not necessarily reception is guaranteed. The latter can be used when applications can't be sure how long the receiving device will be connected.

The NFC Forum has been coming up with specifications like this one since 2004. ®

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