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barcode posts

Samsung cameraphones to sport Scanbuy 2D barcode solution

by Darren Murph posted Sep 24th 2008 @ 2:09PM

While Samsung's latest cellphone-related release doesn't pack quite the excitement as what T-Mobile unveiled yesterday, those obsessed with ultrathin lines packed together in the shape of a rectangle will be thrilled. Said mega-corp has landed an agreement with Scanbuy that will preload the ScanLife mobile 2D barcode application on an unspecified number of Samsung's cameraphones. The program enables the handsets to easily read and digest EZcodes and other major 2D barcode formats, and while you're probably envisioning some sort of warehouse scenario right now, the possibilities for on-the-go marketing are nearly endless. Expect Scanbuy-equipped Samsung cellies to go on sale in Spain, Italy, and Denmark as early as next month, with availability in other major markets to follow suit shortly.

Firm proposes "double QR code" -- we say, why stop there?

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 19th 2008 @ 9:59PM

So a Japanese company by the name of Design QR had a brilliant idea: combine two QR codes to allow twice the information to be stored. Ah, but we had an even more brilliant idea: combine three flippin' QR codes. Design QR says three or more are "possible," but we turned possibility into reality by mocking one up for you. You're welcome.

[Via Slashphone]

FCC reveals the Inventec "Iris"

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 19th 2007 @ 8:22PM

What's that one killer feature missing from the HTC Apaches, Wizards, and Hermes of the world? Biometric security? Naw. DVB-H reception? Try again. It's an integrated barcode scanner, of course! ODM Inventec is about to correct that grave injustice, though, having pushed its "Iris" through the FCC for Opticon, which'll apparently sell it in two flavors as the H-16A and H-16B (not sure where the difference lies). The Windows Mobile Pocket PC looks fairly standard otherwise, featuring a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and support for both GSM 850 and 1900. Better watch your back, Symbol.

The V-Code: boatloads of data via barcode

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 10th 2006 @ 2:12PM

Remember the good ol' days when you could count on your barcodes to be nothing more than a handful of straight lines? Those days were long gone once the whole 2D barcode craze swept the industry (look at pretty much any package that's been shipped to you to see what we mean), and now we've taken one more step down the slippery slope of complexity with the introduction of the "V-Code" from MobileAMA. The basic idea is to animate a 2D barcode, significantly growing the size of data that can be represented -- throw a cameraphone into the mix, and you can probably see where they're going with this. MobileAMA would like to see users get their ringtones, wallpapers, and other garden variety phone knickknacks using their V-Codes, though with carriers generally doing a decent job offering content to their subscribers and Bluetooth becoming virtually ubiquitous, we think they've probably got an uphill battle on their hands.

Student project can scan your veal and scold you for it

by Chris Ziegler posted May 24th 2006 @ 7:00PM

Students at UC Berkeley are working on an experimental system called iBuyRight, which uses a cameraphone to send a picture of a product's UPC barcode to a server to guilt-trip the user on "social, environmental and health issues" related to the product. The idea, the students say, is to empower consumers at the point of sale to make more socially conscious decisions before they buy -- decidedly a different demographic than the conceptually similar Vivid/xobile barcode capture system. Something tells us, though, that if you're already at the Hummer dealer getting ready to sign the paperwork, you're not going to be swayed by a bunch of text messages telling you to buy a Prius.

[Via Reiter's Camera Phone Report]