I'm at the launch of Google's Ice Scream Sandwich Operating System and the Galaxy Nexus phone in Hong Kong, and two features in the Galaxy Nexus really stood out for me: - Android Beam: is Google's implementation of near field communications, which allows information sharing between two apps. How does it work? Say you have a website or Google Maps open on your phone, and you want to transfer that information to your friend, who also has a Galaxy Nexus. You just touch the two phones together, and the same information gets shared from one phone to another. Another example showcased: if I'm playing a game and I want to share it with you, I could just put the two phones together and the android market would launch, allowing you to download the same game. Note that in the demos showcased, information was being pulled from the web, but it would be interesting to see it being used for transfer of information from one phone to another, replacing bluetooth. Google plans to open up the API for developers to use, and this phone could help NFC go mainstream outside of Japan. It would be interesting to see how mobile payment companies leverage this integration - perhaps enabling P2P payments with just a tap of two phones? - People App: Is a reimagining of the phone book, and integrating information from multiple social networks. While it displays user information like the phone book, a swipe allows you to view profiles of…
