Jump into the world of Near Field Communications (NFC), the fast-growing technology that lets devices in close proximity exchange data, using radio signals. With lots of examples, sample code, exercises, and step-by-step projects, this hands-on guide shows you how to build NFC applications for Android, the Arduino microcontroller, and embedded Linux devices.

You'll learn how to write apps using the NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) in PhoneGap, Arduino, and node.js that help devices read messages from passive NFC tags and exchange data with other NFC-enabled devices. If you know HTML and JavaScript, you're ready to start with NFC.

• Dig into NFC's architecture, and learn how it's related to RFID
• Write sample apps for Android with PhoneGap and its NFC plugin
• Dive into NDEF: examine existing tag-writer apps and build your own
• Listen for and filter NDEF messages, using PhoneGap event listeners
• Build a full Android app to control lights and music in your home
• Create a hotel registration app with Arduino, from check-in to door lock
• Write peer-to-peer NFC messages between two Android devices
• Explore embedded Linux applications, using examples on Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone