

Tagstand (YC S11) Greases The Wheels Of NFC Development - canistr
http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/19/yc-funded-tagstand-greases-the-wheels-of-nfc-development/

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kul
HN folk: The discount code for a free pack is techcrunch4nfc, applicable here:
[http://www.tagstand.com/collections/all-
stickers/products/te...](http://www.tagstand.com/collections/all-
stickers/products/techcrunch-sample-pack)

Based on demand/interest I'll set up a discount code for HN, let me know what
products seem the most interesting.

~~~
ajju
I'd love to see "all weather" type stickers for outdoor use. Not sure if
anyone manufactures those yet, but that would be awesome.

It would also be great if the customization (putting a logo or QR code on
them) could be done online.

~~~
kul
We actually have some: [http://www.tagstand.com/collections/all-
stickers/products/mi...](http://www.tagstand.com/collections/all-
stickers/products/mifare-ultralight-metal-proof-pvc-white-nfc-sticker-
square-35mm-x-35mm)

I realise it's not clear enough that these are outdoor-proof (i.e. PVC), will
change that on the store.

We do customise tags right now for folks and putting logos and QR codes on
them is our number 1 feature request - so we'll automate this process on the
store in the next 2 weeks or so. Thanks for feedback!

~~~
ajju
Awesome, thanks!

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memset
This is very cool, congratulations! Just bought a sample pack. I have a few
technical questions, if I may (or if you have a good blog post or document
that can help, that would be amazing.)

I've been playing with RFID for a while. Is NFC different than RFID? On a
different frequency than 132 KHz/13.56 MHz that I already have readers for?

Also, are there simple readers or breakout boards I can use to play with this
(a la Parallax's RFID reader, or anything that could plug into my Arduino?) as
opposed to buying a phone? Any suggestions for good readers or what the
protocol looks like?

Also, out of curiosity (see, I'm a software guy, so often this stuff is a
black box to me) did you all design and fab the tags yourselves? Or do you get
them in bulk and then do your own customizations?

This is extremely cool stuff! I'm really excited about playing around with
this!

~~~
kul
Hey memset, thanks!

NFC is a subset of RFID which works over closer ranges (hence the term "near-
field"). The other difference is it can be passive (i.e. the reader induces a
current in the tag/sticker to read it, that's why the tag doesn't need any
power).

13.56 MHZ readers should work. We're ordering cheaper reader-writers (~$50)
and will put them on the store soon. In terms of sourcing, we get them in
bulk. We basically tested all the suppliers for quality, speed, and are
working with the best ones. Who knows though, buying a factory may be in our
future.

Have a read of our About NFC page: <http://www.tagstand.com/pages/about-nfc>
and our FAQ <http://www.tagstand.com/pages/faq>

and if you have any other questions, let us know!

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rdl
This is one of the coolest and most useful (for hackers) startups out there --
NFC is clearly the future, but is such a pain to deal with now in development
(even small deployments; anything less than 50k unit quantities).

~~~
kul
thanks rdl - you're in MV? We've seen some really cool stuff happening,
including the MobiSocial guys at Stanford. Eventually we expect the cost of
these tags to tend to zero, and then they really will be ubiquitous. We listed
a bunch of demos on our about us page: <http://www.tagstand.com/pages/about-
nfc>

~~~
rdl
Cool. I'm in MV tomorrow through Wednesday :)

After wednesday it might be fun to get some tags and experiment with them --
the main thing I'd like to do is track access to servers, and maybe organize
tools and components.

~~~
kul
ping me if you get a chance - kul@tagstand.com

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w001
Great. Is it possible to somehow adapt my existing HTC handset to read the
codes, or must I buy a NCF enabled model? If so, any recommendation on handset
model would be handy.

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djb_hackernews
I own a Nexus S, kind of feel obligated to take you guys up on the discount.
Thanks.

~~~
kul
you should!

