Sony demonstrates ease of NFC with wacky online remote control car/phone racing contest
Online or in London, win a trip a Vegas, baby
A lot of marketing attention is being lavished on the ability to share content by physically tapping your phone with a friend's, or beaming content between them.
Of course, this sort of thing's been around for years with Bluetooth, but the rise of simple alternatives such as NFC or Wi-Fi Direct (both included in the Android standard, if not iOS) is kickstarting the current push.
Micro machinesOne manufacturer making the most of opportunity is Sony, which is running a special promotion in the UK.
Called the Xperia Face Off, the physical part of the promotion is being held in the Truman Brewery in Shoreditch, London, on the weekend of the 3rd and 4th, and the 10th and 11th of November.
This gives you the opportunity to race remote-controlled cars containing Xperia smartphones around a specially-designed track.
Share and winUsing Sony's One-touch sharing technology, as you drive over the various NFC-enabled devices embedded in the track, you'll transfer the photo on your phone/car to them, scoring points in the process.
Face Off! Geddit?
At the end of the competition, everyone on the top 100 leaderboard will be entered into a draw for a three night stay in Las Vegas. There are also plenty of daily spot prizes such as smartphones, speakers, PS Vitas, PlayStations and Sony tablets.
And even if you can't get down to Shoreditch, you can still get involved, playing via the Facebook app.
Indeed, the online element of event is currently live. You can check it out via the Sony Face Off website.