Samsung Hopes High-Tech Stickers Help Boost Near Field Communication

While much of the attention around Near Field Communication has been around its potential for mobile payments, Samsung is hoping to boost use of the technology for other tasks.

The company is launching TecTiles, inexpensive NFC tags that phone owners can use to automate various tasks. Via a free application, customers will be able to assign various commands to one of the stickers.

A tag outside a conference room could be set to silence phones or to join the Wi-Fi network.

Businesses could use a tag to allow customers to check in on Foursquare, or “Like” the company on Facebook.

Samsung will sell the stickers in a five-pack for $15 via the major cellphone carriers’ stores.

NFC technology is built into a number of Samsung phones, including the Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, and its newest smartphone, the Galaxy S III, which is just about to go on sale in the U.S.