|
In Part I, we discussed the technology behind and the benefits of Near Field Communication (NFC). Now, let's put it to use!
Automatic Music Streaming in your Car
Things you'll need: An NFC enabled
phone, an NFC Tag,
Bluetooth stereo*, an NFC Tag Reader/Writer such as NFC
Task Launcher, Tasker,
and lastly your favorite media player.
(The linked reader/writer has automated functions built- in
like switching on/off Bluetooth, but I will use Tasker for this example because
it handles the overall task much better, is more powerful, and I would like to
showcase this particular app's power, too. Tasker is a powerful app that can
automate just about everything on your phone.)
1)
Getting in
the car. Create a Tasker task that will perform everything you want to
happen on the first tap of your NFC Tag. In this case we want to turn off
WiFi, turn on Bluetooth, open the media player, start playing automatically,
and finally turn off the screen. Here's how I set up Tasker to do that:
a.
Mobile Data - Turns on 3G Data
b.
Bluetooth ON
c.
WiFi OFF
d.
If Bluetooth
connects (to my stereo), launch App TinyShark
e.
It takes a moment for TinyShark to connect to
its servers, so I set a delay of 10 seconds
f.
TinyShark currently does not have the option to
start playing automatically, so steps 6 through 8 simulate a Dpad or a
Trackball to navigate to the Play menu within the app and press the play
button. 6 Navigates to Play screen.
g.
Navigate to Play button
h.
Presses Play button
i.
Turns off screen
In Car Task Complete!
(Click here to get Tasker for your phone!)
(In Car Task)
2) Getting
out of the car. Create a Tasker task that will perform everything you want
to happen on the second tap of your NFC Tag. In this case we want to close the
media player, turn off Bluetooth, and turn WiFi back on.
a.
Simulates Menu button
b.
Navigate to Exit button
c.
Presses Exit button
d.
Bluetooth OFF
e.
WiFi ON
f.
Turns off screen
You have now successfully created
the tasks that you want to execute when you tap your phone on the Tag when you
get into and out of the car. Next, we tell the Tag what its job is:
3)
Open NFC Task Launcher
4)
Select New Tag
5)
Select New Switch
6)
Tap the first Unassigned slot and select the
Tasker task for Get
ting in the car. Save.
7)
Tap the second Unassigned slot and select the
Tasker task for Getting out of car. Save.
8)
It will prompt you to hold your phone over the
tag to program it. Do so, and you're done!
9) Place the tag anywhere in your car where you can
easily tap and get on your way. For me, it's near the cup holder.
That's it! Now every time you get
in your car, you can listen to your favorite music, streaming or stored, by
just tapping your phone on a surface. It helps you save time and battery!
*If you don't have a Bluetooth stereo, don't
sweat it! If your car has an auxiliary port, you can make use of that. Tasker
is smart enough to know when you plug your 3.5mm audio cable into your phone.
The event of plugging the cable in can act as the initiator. So you don't need
NFC, but what fun is that?
See Part I for more information on how to get started. Please feel free to share you ideas, questions, or comments about Tasker and what else could be done with Tasker and NFC tags!
| 
Re: Automate Your Life With Your NFC Capable Smartphone - Part II
