Google CEO Eric Schmidt showed-off an unreleased Android phone running “Gingerbread, ” the next version of the Android operating system at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. The new OS will bring with it a new feature: NFC, which stands for Near Field Communication.
Near field communication is a technology that allows you to tap or pass your phone over on a physical sensor and pay. This means you’ll be able to connect your credit card to your Android phone, and conduct transactions simply by tapping your phone against a sensor at an outlet. There are also rumors that Apple is going to add this feature to their next iPhone.
Other possible use for NFC include tapping your phone against a location-aware sensor, and it can check you into whatever venue you’re standing in, without having to open any app on your phone. [via]