There’s been a lot of buzz recently surrounding near-field communications, or NFC, and what its integration into smartphones like the Nexus S and iPhone 5 will mean for companies and consumers alike.

Chances are you’ve seen NFC in action, if not used it yourself. Loyalty rewards cards for major retail chains often employ NFC-enabled key chain fobs. Touch-based cards, like the SmartTrip cards used here in DC to navigate the public transportation system, rely on NFC.

What, you might ask, will be so revolutionary about NFC-enabled smartphones? For one, it will put us that much closer to carrying a “mobile wallet.” Don’t expect the innovation to end with mobile payment systems, however.

Jason Ankeny at FierceMobileContent writes, “But this is Apple, so expect something far more ambitious than a mobile wallet platform. Insider buzz indicates Apple is plotting an NFC-enabled remote computing solution allowing users to wave their iPhone at any compatible Mac, loading all their personal applications, data and settings from the smartphone to the desktop; in effect, any Mac would mirror the user’s own, with the original settings restored when the individual moves out of range.” You can also check out this article from Cult of Mac for more potential uses for NFC on the iPhone and other devices.