Open NFC stack reaches Android 4.0, makes updates easy
updated 10:45 pm EST, Tue January 17, 2012
Code to help non-Nexus upgrades to ICS
Inside Secure has released an update to its open-source Open NFC protocol stack for Android 4.0. Although Google has already created its own code for NFC on the Galaxy Nexus, the Open NFC stack is expected to ease the Ice Cream Sandwich update process for other NFC-equipped Android handsets.
The protocols enable developers to take advantage of a variety of NFC features, including Android Beam and Wi-Fi Direct pairing. Developers are left to create a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) for specific hardware, though the company provides such code for its own MicroRead and SecuRead chip platforms.
Many companies have committed to expanding the number of smartphones built with NFC components. Sprint recently announced that it would eventually make NFC a standard feature on all of its smartphones.
The Open NFC code is now available directly from the company.
