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Samsung's TecTiles NFC stickers let you launch apps, change settings by tapping your phone

Samsung's TecTiles NFC stickers let you launch apps, change settings by tapping your phone

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Samsung launched TecTiles today, NFC-enabled stickers that let you do a number of things just by tapping your phone.

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Samsung TecTiles
Samsung TecTiles

The Galaxy S III has NFC built in, and Samsung's doing its best to make sure you use it for more than just paying for gas. The company released TecTiles today, small square stickers that let you launch apps, change settings, or even make phone calls with a single tap of your phone. You buy TecTiles in packs of five for $14.99, and the first time you touch your NFC-enabled phone (a handful of Samsung phones, plus some from other manufacturers) you'll be prompted to download the TecTiles app. Then, you can use the app to program the stickers to do a variety of things — you can have it turn your alarm on, or launch a particular app, or check in on Foursquare. It can even do things like initiate a phone call or text message, though thanks to some Android privacy settings those still require you to confirm the action. TecTiles are a lot like LG's Tag+ or Sony's SmartTags, though Samsung's stickers are both cheaper and more disposable than the other dog tag-like products.

We're told the next version will support many more actions, and will let you do a number of different things per tap. You can easily re-program the stickers, too — up to a few thousand times apparently, which should be enough. It's a great way of showing off all the things you can do with NFC, and another nifty trick to show off on your Galaxy S III if you buy one next week.