It was just a little over a week ago that Samsung announced that the Galaxy S III would be hitting five carriers here in the U.S., but now the company has introduced another new product that you may be interested in. Samsung today took the wraps off of its TecTiles, which are programmable near field communication (NFC) tags that consumers can use in conjunction with an NFC-enabled device to automate certain functions on their handset. For example, a user could program a tag to toggle the Wi-Fi radio on or off and then tap it when they leave their home to disable their device's Wi-Fi radio or turn it back on when they return. Other possible ways to program a TecTile tag include setting it to send a text message, check-in on Foursquare or launch an app.

So how does it work? Users can program a TecTile NFC sticker tag with a Samsung TecTile programming app, which is available for free in Google Play. The TecTiles can also be reprogrammed as frequently as necessary. TecTiles are priced at $14.99 for a pack of five and are now available both online and in-store from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. Samsung's NFC-capable handsets include the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S II on T-Mobile, CDMA and GSM Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S 4G on Sprint and the Galaxy S Blaze 4G on T-Mobile. Samsung notes on its TecTiles website that most of the tag types "will work on nearly all phones which have NFC hardware," but it says that there are some tag types (like ones that alter phone settings or launch an app) that'll only work with phones that have the Samsung TecTile app installed.

There are already several phones on the market with NFC capabilities, but some owners are likely unaware of the feature or what it can do. The TecTile tags and the programming app could be a good way to help consumers to become acquainted with NFC tech, and it'll be interesting to see how folks react to and adopt the tags. If you'd like to read up a bit more on Samsung's TecTile NFC tags, you can find the company's full press release ready and waiting for you below.

Samsung Mobile Puts All The Pieces in Place to Bring NFC To The Masses

Inexpensive, easy to use Samsung TecTiles™ Programmable NFC Tags can be customized to launch apps, send text messages, share contact information, change phone settings and more, with an NFC-enabled Galaxy smartphone

DALLAS — June 13, 2012 — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) is helping consumers realize the potential of NFC technology today with the creation of Samsung TecTiles™ and the TecTile™ programming application. With the largest user base of NFC-enabled devices in the United States and TecTiles available in all four major carrier stores and at major online retailers at the launch of the Galaxy S III, Samsung is ensuring NFC becomes a part of daily life.

With a simple tap of an NFC-enabled phone to a TecTile, consumers are able to automate everyday functions of a smartphone including sending a “headed/at home” text message, silencing the phone when entering a meeting, setting an alarm, and dimming the display when going to bed.

Samsung TecTiles will transform how businesses large and small engage with consumers. On premise, TecTiles enable consumers to check-in on Facebook® or foursquare®, connect to Wi-Fi® or download content. Off-premise, businesses can use TecTiles as a way to market to and engage with consumers by enabling reward programs and to download discount offers or content.

“With millions of NFC-enabled Samsung Galaxy smartphones currently in the market and the arrival of our flagship device Galaxy S® III, Samsung saw an opportunity to expand the value of NFC beyond mobile payments,” said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Telecommunications America, the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. and worldwide[1]. “The launch of Samsung TecTiles is another example of Samsung’s ability to innovate new products and applications that improve the way we use our mobile devices for everyday tasks.”

Samsung TecTiles are easy to program with any NFC-enabled smartphone and the free application, which can be found in the Google Play™ marketplace. TecTiles can be reprogrammed as often as needed to complete any of the following functions on an NFC-enabled phone:

Settings & Applications

· Change phone settings (Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, ringer/media volume, screen brightness, etc.)

· Launch an application

· Join a Wi-Fi Network

· Show a message

 Communication

· Make a call

· Send a text message

· Start a Google Talk™ conversation

· Share a contact or business card

 Location & Web

· Show an address on a map

· Open a web page

· Foursquare or Facebook check-in

 Social

· Automatic Facebook “Like”

· Update Facebook status

· Post a tweet or follow a contact on Twitter

· Connect on LinkedIn®

 Samsung NFC-Enabled Android TM Smartphones

· Samsung Galaxy S® III on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon

· Samsung Galaxy S® II on T-Mobile

· Galaxy Nexus TM on Verizon, Sprint and GSM Unlocked

· Nexus TM S ® 4G on Sprint

· Samsung Galaxy S® Blaze ® 4G on T-Mobile

Pricing/Availability

Priced at $14.99 for a pack of five, TecTiles programmable NFC sticker tags are now available for purchase online and in-store at AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The Samsung TecTiles app is now available for download at the Google Play store.

© Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC.  Samsung, Galaxy, Galaxy S, and TecTiles are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Android and Nexus are trademarks of Google Inc.  All other company names, product names and marks are the property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks.