[APP] 6/12 NFC Task Launcher - 3.6.1 Released

[krohnjw]

After more than a year I am consolidating threads. Maintaining several threads was getting to be too much. Please move to the new thread here with any new questions or comments: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=34417369

Market Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.jwsoft.nfcactionlauncher
Application Site: http://www.jwksoftware.com/
Screenshots: http://www.jwksoftware.com/screenshots
Known Issues: http://www.jwksoftware.com/issues

Features:
NFC Task Launcher uses the NFC Hardware and RFID/NFC Tags to allow you to create tags several types of tags, including a custom "Task" tag that will automatically execute tasks when read. See Site for full feature list.

If you do use and enjoy the app it is up in the Market as a paid app. Any purchases / ratings are appreciated as I have put quite a few hours into this expanding it to fill requests for functionality.

Change log:
6/12 Version 3.6
- GPS (Root needed)
- Mobile Data (Root needed)
- Display Timeout
- Fixed Airplane mode bugs
- Precision timer
- New languages
- Cloud backup and restore

5/9 Version 3.4
- UI updates
- Added German, Spanish and Korean
- Removed Italian as it is out of date
- All tags now save to "Your Tags". Recent shows the 5 most recently used
- Changed Tag limiting to uniquely track switch tags

4/19 Version 3.3
- Added Google Places support in Latitude
- Added Navigate to address support
- Added Auto-rotation
- Added write lock option when writing
- Added size to vCards
- Added setting to pause after launching an app (for launching multiple apps or launching and then interacting)
- Added notification when tags save when hitting finish
- Updated Tasker integration (should fix issues with HTC One X)
- Enhanced debugging to make bug reports easier
- Fixed condition where tasks would stop executing when wifi changed
- Fixed reported crashes and typo

Full: http://www.jwksoftware.com/change-log

Where to get Tags?
http://www.jwksoftware.com/nfc-tags

If you'd like to see some functionality added feel free to make a request.

The APK linked below is free of the license check of the Market version and is fully functional for 7 days.
http://goo.gl/xBBOU

For anyone who decides to purchase the app after using the APK attached to the thread - un-install the free version first otherwise the market installation fails.

Here's a few videos I made for a current demo:

Tag Demos

Car Dock Demo

 

[kenvan19]

Hmm that would be really cool. Embed a tag in my doorframe and set it to enable/disable wifi so I never have to do it by hand lol. Put one it my car steering wheel to turn on BT...you're a genius sir!

 

[gabrialxue]

What I would be really interested in is an app which allowed users to easily assign a list of actions to certain tags, directly from the application.

I'd certainly help out in the development of the application if anybody else is interested

 

[krohnjw]

What I would be really interested in is an app which allowed users to easily assign a list of actions to certain tags, directly from the application.

I'd certainly help out in the development of the application if anybody else is interested

If this was something people were interested in it would be fairly trivial to write an app with a defined set of options and write the text tags instead of having to compose them by hand.

Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

 

[jaker.the.skater]

this is a great idea! about how much do blank nfc tags cost though?

Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

 

[joshthewaster]

this is a great idea! about how much do blank nfc tags cost though?

Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

This would be my question as well. I think this is a cool idea. Definitely need to have an easy to set up user interface to enable tags.

 

[krohnjw]

I picked them up for $2-3 each.

I ordered a few from Finland for €1.30 a piece shipped. I also ordered a few from a US company for 2.95 each + shipping. All are 1k tags. Once I get them I'll let you know how they flush out.

Touchtag sells them reasonably cheap but it's a lot of 25 for #15 or $20, I think, but they are out of stock .


Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

 

[krohnjw]

This would be my question as well. I think this is a cool idea. Definitely need to have an easy to set up user interface to enable tags.

Once I get the tags I'll add a main UI for building/writing the text tags. I had assumed constructing them manually and then writing with one of the existing products would be easy enough, but it's pretty trivial to implement a simple text tag writer and accompanying UI.

Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

 

[krohnjw]

Hmm that would be really cool. Embed a tag in my doorframe and set it to enable/disable wifi so I never have to do it by hand lol. Put one it my car steering wheel to turn on BT...you're a genius sir!

I overlooked that entirely. I'll add toggle support as well.

I don't have tags to test writes tonight, but if my kids cooperate I'll try to get a UI and the associated logic set up over the next few days. Then when the tags arrive I'll get some video/screenshots up for people to are how it all works.

Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

 

[krohnjw]

Ok, toggle support is in. I created a UI to start with tonight for tag building. The known SSIDs and app list aren't populated yet - I'll get to that some time this week. It needs cleaned up a bit as well, but it's a start for now.

It does looks like auto BT pairing isn't part of the API, so that my be out of the feature list. But enabling Wifi Tethering and associating with a known SSID should be no problem.

 

[pratishk]

is it worth using something like the locale or tasker app? and working with them? They already have a good task maker GUI..?

 

[krohnjw]

is it worth using something like the locale or tasker app? and working with them? They already have a good task maker GUI..?

I don't use either and wouldn't want to rip off a UI from them. We really need a very small subset of what those apps appear to offer for building tags and our use case doesn't seem to fit into what those apps do very well.

Moving forward I'll likely pull the "add" into a separate view to make it cleaner, as well as the write dialog. This is just a starting point currently to write the tags when I receive them.

Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

 

[pratishk]

sounds good anyhow, look forward to hearing more about the app...

 

[krohnjw]

New SS up with a cleaner UI using multiple views.

 

[dskyers]

Think your giving the million doller idea away buddy. This could change everything essentially if you think about it? I won't have to touch anything on my phone for cretin things like turning on and off wifi or turning in Bluetooth when I get in car. Going to desktop mode when I get to work. Think u should make a good Buck off of this. Good luck.

Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

 

[mattyg151]

this would be an awesome app. i'd buy it.

 

[krohnjw]

this would be an awesome app. i'd buy it.

Sounds good

I plan on putting a free version up here and a version on the market you can buy as a donate version.

I completed all of the wifi tethering stuff, as well as configuration options. I've got the write code in place (in theory - no tags to test on yet). Updated UI screenshots in the OP.

I've got a few more small additions to make and then it's just waiting for tags to arrive in the mail for testing.

 

[instigator008]

Do RFID tags work with this technology? Lots on ebay but no NFC specific.

 

[instigator008]

Here's another retailer. $1 a piece NFC labels:

http://www.tagage.net/tagage-shop/

 

[krohnjw]

Here's another retailer. $1 a piece NFC labels:

http://www.tagage.net/tagage-shop/

I have an order with them - they are in Finland. I placed the order last week and have no response from them yet (not even a confirmation email) my card however was charged.

I also ordered a few tags from here: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10128

These have shipped it seems and should be here in the next few days.

I am eagerly waiting as I'd like to finish this up