RIM Introducing Tap-Based Transfers in BlackBerry 7
RIM said that a "tap to share" feature will be added to the next BlackBerry 7 OS update.
During his keynote presentation at the GITEX conference in Dubai, Research In Motion Co-CEO Jim Balsillie unveiled a new way for BlackBerry smartphone users to connect with one another and share multimedia content. He called it BlackBerry Tag, and it's expected to be incorporated into the next BlackBerry 7 OS update at an unspecified date.
Balsillie reports that the new feature will allow users to share contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content by simply tapping their BlackBerry smartphones together. Friends will also be added instantly as a contact on BlackBerry Messenger (BBM).
"BlackBerry Tag is an exciting and innovative feature that makes sharing contact information and multimedia content effortless and seamless," he said. "BlackBerry Tag opens a new dimension to the BlackBerry platform that is powerful, simple and intuitive and we think it will be welcomed by both users and developers."
Balsillie added that the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 and BlackBerry Curve 9350/9360/9370 smartphones will be the first devices to support BlackBerry Tag, as these devices also support Near Field Technology which powers the new Tag capability. BlackBerry Tag will also be released as APIs for the BlackBerry platform so that developers can add a "tap to share" feature in their own applications.
Currently it's unknown when the OS update will take place, but it's possible we'll know more about the release during RIM's BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011 conference in San Francisco next week (Oct 18-20).
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This is a balsillie decision.
Is this REALLY necessary? Wouldn't it be better in put those resources that were used developing this into making other necessary features better?
"Tapping" isn't any more useful than scanning a contact's barcode from their screen, or, once you have them added, going to the contact list and hitting send on something you want to transfer. You also don't have to be within touching distance to do so.
Pure gimmick. Doesn't fill a need and explains why RIM is in trouble. If this is considered revolutionary and "opens a new dimension", then Apple is the most original company since Ford Motors.
It is a cool feature, to be sure. But there just aren't enough new BBs out there where this is useful. Lots of people have older generation BBs, but because this type of feature isn't available on their phone, and more importantly, isn't on other people's phones (other than the absolute newest ones) than this will not constitute anything other than a novelty, and will not be incentive to to switch to iOS or Android...
Sounds an awful lot like Bump app on Android phones.
Sounds an awful lot like Bump app on Android phones.
How so? Tap to share will use NFC. Bump app uses cloud based servers....no thanks.
Sounds cool actually. Instead of giving someone my number, I just tap their phone.
1337 IMO
Hilarious how people comment on it as pure gimmick, when BUMP for iOS does the exact same thing and people use it a lot.
Enough with the RIM bashing, seriously.
(This is for RIM) Please do anticipate, that after OS7 upgrade there will be no problem when we do the 'tag' thing... pls...
Enough with the RIM bashing, seriously.
But that's just what RIM wants you to do - bash two phones together.