non self powered devices are devices which do not have a means of powering themselves when disconnected from a power grid. This means that they do not have a battery or primary capacitor. In short, they rely exclusively on external power
NFC is Near Field Connection, a communication technology which involves bringing two radio tuned devices into close proximity to each other. Due to the way radio waves work, a non self powered device can be brought into close enough proximity to a radio wave generating device (such as a cell phone) that it is able to absorb enough energy from the electric and magnetic fields generated by that device that it can power itself.