Blind and Visually Impaired Community
↑
4
↓
What's the advantage of WayAround WayTags as opposed to generic NFC tags? (self.Blind)
submitted by Eme-MB
I got a little bit in to WayAround a few years back in Orlando. I thought it was pretty cool, but didn't have a use for it at the time. Then maybe a year ago, I found out about NFC tags. It's silly, because WayAround tells you they're using NFC technology, but I didn't realize this was a really available thing. Turns out they're plenty of NFC tags being sold online for a fraction of a fraction of the price of WayTags and in more styles too. I don't think you can use the WayAround app, but you can go on whichever app store and find any NFC scanning and tagging app that's accessible and use that. I use iPhone and like Simply NFC. So, what's the advantage of WayTags if you can get far more genaric blank NFC tags for a fraction of the price? The only thing I thought was cool about the WayAround stuff was that the app had different fields you could write in specific to what kind of thing you were tagging. But that's not worth the price of the tags being a dollar or more per tag for something that could be a few cents. If anyone is a WayAround user, please enlighten me.
Tl;dr: WayAround WayTags are more expensive than normal NFC tags, so what is better about WayTags?
Tl;dr: WayAround WayTags are more expensive than normal NFC tags, so what is better about WayTags?
likeadollseyes 3 points 1y ago
Thank you for asking this question. I am also very interested in any feedback. Could you explain for us how you “write” on the NFC tags? I downloaded the Simply NFC app and I am trying to figure it out.
Edit - I found the “write” section in the simply NFC app. It looks like it is a little more difficult to use than the Way Around app. ?
Edit - I found the “write” section in the simply NFC app. It looks like it is a little more difficult to use than the Way Around app. ?
Littlebiggran 1 points 1y ago
Could someone tell me what NFC stands for?
Wolfocorn20 2 points 1y ago
Near field comunication
GreatSunJester 2 points 1y ago
I think it is because you are also getting an accessible app designed around creating the tags instead of using a generic app.
The Wayaround tags store some extra code that triggers their app to read them as the default. They only have (at least the pack I have) 180 bytes of space, where some generic (several years old!) tags I have laying around have 512 bytes open. There are a few other differences as well.
You can copy a Wayaround tag onto a generic tag and it will operate on the Wayaround app same way. HOWEVER, you cannot just use generic tags freely. The tag does not really hold the information you "write" to it. It just has a serial number that it looks up on your account when you read it. I copied a blank Wayaround tag to a generic one, then had the app set that tag as Artwork, Statue of Cthulhu. Both tags now respond with that same result.
I think that is the biggest difference. If you write information to a generic tag, anyone with NFC can read that information. Wayaround tags can only be read by their app.
Sorry that got a bit long - I do ramble.
The Wayaround tags store some extra code that triggers their app to read them as the default. They only have (at least the pack I have) 180 bytes of space, where some generic (several years old!) tags I have laying around have 512 bytes open. There are a few other differences as well.
You can copy a Wayaround tag onto a generic tag and it will operate on the Wayaround app same way. HOWEVER, you cannot just use generic tags freely. The tag does not really hold the information you "write" to it. It just has a serial number that it looks up on your account when you read it. I copied a blank Wayaround tag to a generic one, then had the app set that tag as Artwork, Statue of Cthulhu. Both tags now respond with that same result.
I think that is the biggest difference. If you write information to a generic tag, anyone with NFC can read that information. Wayaround tags can only be read by their app.
Sorry that got a bit long - I do ramble.
synthpopolis 1 points 1y ago
Blind guy here and I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about, but it sounds cool. Can you zoom out a bit and give me the broad strokes? Is this technology for labeling your own items? Identifying items when you are out and about? Something else? Thanks
ke7zum 2 points 1y ago
Not only for labeling items, but for opening websites. Example: I went to Best Buy to go look for something. I had the label and information on an NFC tag that I had in my wallet. I pulled it out, open the app, scanned my phone, it open the website and the guy looked at my phone to know exactly what I wanted. It was easier than explaining. You can also use NFC to trigger actions, such as opening doors, starting cars, opening car doors, turning on your lights when you get home, the results and the actions are limitless. Here’s the kicker, at least on android. I’m not sure about iOS.
Eme-MB [OP] 2 points 1y ago
Yeah, it's for labeling your stuff. WayAround, the company, sells tags that you can attach to stuff like food or clothes etc. Then you can use their free app to add information to those tags. When you want to read the tag, you tap it with your phone, I think with the app open, and it pulls up the record you created before. And the tags are reusable, at least until they break or you reach the number of times they can be rewritten, which is way way out there for most people I'm guessing, it's in the thousands. And you can put all kinds of infromation on the tag, so it goes beyond the basic stuff you could do with many other tactile systems for remembering what is what. But the tags are pretty expensive for what they are, about a dollar a piece for what I was looking at on the online store, but as I said they are reusable. Anyway yeah that's the background.
synthpopolis 1 points 1y ago
This sounds fantastic! Thank you so much. I will be definitely looking into these now.
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.