I made Qcard which makes solves a similar problem using client-side JS to decode the standard VCard format - It's free and open source. - https://qcard.link
That looks very useful! I like your focus on privacy. Thanks for sharing.
Show HN: Neucards – Privacy based digital contact card
31–38 of 38 posts
Re: Show HN: Neucards – Privacy based digital contact card
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thank you! I'm glad you like the idea. For sharing with others who don't have the app, the link you send lets them see your card's contact information on the neucards' website which they can act on. So, for example, I typically share my phone number, linked in profile, twitter handle, etc. and that works faster for me than just giving someone my number and texting them the rest. Also, by using card types, you can set…
BTW, I wrote about my experience creating the NFC tags at IndieHackers - https://www.indiehackers.com/post/shipped-my-first-order-tod...
If I get this right, both the NFC tag and the app assume that these two conditions are true:
1) internet connection is available
2) that the neucard site is up and working
so it is in some ways an IOT of sorts, right?
For the NFC those two conditions are of course needed, but for the app, is there a "local cache" of contacts in case either of the two conditions are not met?
Or are these contacts automatically added[1] to the phone contacts?
And how does the updating works?
I mean, does the app "phone home" periodically or only when you ask for a given contact (or both)?
[1] even if in a possibly outdated version
Re: Show HN: Neucards – Privacy based digital contact card
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
BTW, I wrote about my experience creating the NFC tags at IndieHackers - https://www.indiehackers.com/post/shipped-my-first-order-tod...
If I get this right, both the NFC tag and the app assume that these two conditions are true: 1) internet connection is available 2) that the neucard site is up and working so it is in some ways an IOT of sorts, right? For the NFC those two conditions are of course needed, but for the app, is there a "local cache" of contacts in case either of the two conditions are not met? Or are these contacts automatically added[1…
Yes, for the NFC tags you will need an internet connection, but the Neucards app does maintain a local cache of the digital cards you have received. You can view the details of those cards and kick off an action, like make a call or send an email, by just tapping on the info. Updates occur when I edit my card or account information and notifications are sent to the list of recipients for my card. Neucards does a sync at launch or when triggered by a notification.
As for adding info to the phone contacts, this is a tricky situation. Right now, I do not sync the contact info from received cards into the contacts on the phone. This is because the contacts on the phone are a shared resource that other apps can access, and I don't want people's contact info to leak. I do support caller identification, so you will see a person's name rather than just a number when they call for all of the numbers on your received cards. But, this isn't as robust of an experience as having all the info in the phone's contacts.
Re: Show HN: Neucards – Privacy based digital contact card
#34At conferences people often have screenshots of nfcs that point to their LinkedIn profiles.
Yes. LinkedIn is, in my experience, the go to way of connecting at conferences. I should mention, though, that one feature I really like myself in Neucards is location tagging when you exchange your digital card. This lets me see months later not just when, but also where, I met someone and makes it much easier to remember the context around the exchange.
Re: Show HN: Neucards – Privacy based digital contact card
#35It's cool, does it work without the app? And does the card have a QR code printed on it?
I'd really like to exchange contact info when meeting new people more easily. It's always a negotiation of "do you have this app?" "no but I have this app" "ah I don't have that app, do you have this" "no, but I can give you my number". If they can scan a QR code and get all my info without needing to install anything, that sounds great.
Actually quite surprised Apple doesn't have a feature to exchange info on your own contact via NFC.
Re: Show HN: Neucards – Privacy based digital contact card
#36It's cool, does it work without the app? And does the card have a QR code printed on it? I'd really like to exchange contact info when meeting new people more easily. It's always a negotiation of "do you have this app?" "no but I have this app" "ah I don't have that app, do you have this" "no, but I can give you my number". If they can scan a QR code and get all my info without needing to install anything, that sound…
It does work without the app. You can display a QR code on your phone's screen to let people see and act on your contact info even if they don't have Neucards installed. In fact, I use my wife's android phone all the time for testing. You can also set up card types to just share certain info, like professional, personal, family, friends, etc.
The tap cards do not have a QR code printed on them because I create an access key dynamically when you activate the tap card.
Re: Show HN: Neucards – Privacy based digital contact card
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
If I get this right, both the NFC tag and the app assume that these two conditions are true: 1) internet connection is available 2) that the neucard site is up and working so it is in some ways an IOT of sorts, right? For the NFC those two conditions are of course needed, but for the app, is there a "local cache" of contacts in case either of the two conditions are not met? Or are these contacts automatically added[1…
Yes, for the NFC tags you will need an internet connection, but the Neucards app does maintain a local cache of the digital cards you have received. You can view the details of those cards and kick off an action, like make a call or send an email, by just tapping on the info. Updates occur when I edit my card or account information and notifications are sent to the list of recipients for my card. Neucards does a sync…
I understand how you don't want the contacts coming from neucard into the generic phone app, but then users wanting to call someone must know if the contact is in the neucard app or in the standard phone one (or look in both).
Maybe you could do the reverse, i.e. somehow allow the neucard app to "import" the standard contacts, if this would be possible, the neucard app could double as a "private contacts app" that might have more general use.
Re: Show HN: Neucards – Privacy based digital contact card
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, for the NFC tags you will need an internet connection, but the Neucards app does maintain a local cache of the digital cards you have received. You can view the details of those cards and kick off an action, like make a call or send an email, by just tapping on the info. Updates occur when I edit my card or account information and notifications are sent to the list of recipients for my card. Neucards does a sync…
I understand how you don't want the contacts coming from neucard into the generic phone app, but then users wanting to call someone must know if the contact is in the neucard app or in the standard phone one (or look in both). Maybe you could do the reverse, i.e. somehow allow the neucard app to "import" the standard contacts, if this would be possible, the neucard app could double as a "private contacts app" that mi…
Actually, I have an option in Neucards' settings that adds a Contacts tab which lets you access your phone's contacts directly within Neucards. I agree people should not need to go back and forth to find what they are looking for.