Category Archives: Mobile barcodes
ScanLife enters tech spat with logo-centric QR codes
Rating: Even support colour like Microsoft Tag
Probably because it was feeling a little bit left out, ScanLife (Scanbuy) has decided to enter the current spat over 2D barcode technology. Avid readers may recall that SpyderLynx has just announced it has received a patent for its SnapTag technology. See here. One of the things which SpyderLynx claims SnapTag can offer is “the only logo-centric mobile activation tool in the marketplace today.” (See here). So what has ScanLife just done? Only gone and sent GoMobile News examples of its latest service for customers. Yessiree, the ability to embed logos into various 2D codes including QR codes. If that isn’t throwing the gauntlet down, then what is? Continue reading
QR codes to drive action oriented proximity based marketing to $2.3 billion by 2016
Press release
April 9th 2012. The demand for action oriented proximity based marketing solutions produced exponential growth in 2011 and the market is poised to expand to $2.3 billion by 2016 according to a report published by Smith’s Point Analytics. NFC tags, QR codes, proprietary 2D barcodes and emerging technology such as computer vision are enabling brands to leverage new channels to reach consumers through proximity based marketing strategies. Continue reading
Consumer appetite for NFC for Out-of-Home ads won’t be met
Rating: Clear Channel and Posterscope’s research exposes this finding
Can you spot the mistake? *
Aiming to establish if consumers would react positively to NFC enabled poster interactions, Clear Channel and Posterscope have accidentally exposed the fact that demand won’t be met. As market watcher Deloitte has pointed out, there will be a mere 200 million NFC [...]
UKFast claims users can’t be sure where a QR code is taking them
Rating: Don’t blame the QR code – a lack of security is the issue
A Press release put out by a web hosting specialist, UKFast is definitely scaremongering over the dangers potentially involved with scanning in a QR code/barcode from dubious origins. The implication is that if you don’t know what you are doing you can end up with malware on your smartphone. The company claims that a recent attack exposed the security risk after infecting victims’ mobile devices with malware. Those malicious apps then handed over access to all SMS messages, emails and call logs on the device to the crooks, UKFast says. Continue reading
Pharmaceutical billionaire buys into NeoMedia
Rating: has this got something to do with patents?
Curious news on the NeoMedia Technologies front. It appears that a US-based billionaire, Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, just bought a significant stake (estimated to be approximately 25.9 per cent) in NeoMedia. The transaction was completed on March 20th [2012]. More details are available here and here. This raises the question of why Soon-Shiong should want to buy into a company which specialises in 2D barcode/QR code technology?There’s also speculation Dr Soon-Shiong might, in fact, be planning to acquire the entire company. So why would a man who made his money in the pharmaceuticals industry suddenly start showing an interest in QR code technology? We’d guess it has something to do with patents. Continue reading
World’s simplest use of QR codes discovered
Rating: My Contact Info Free app from Yuv Apps
If Carlsberg made the world’s simplest W7 Mango app to employ QR [2D] barcode technology then it would have invented My Content Info Free. But it doesn’t – Yuv Apps does. It’s a very basic app that turns your contact info into a QR code which you can display on your Windows Phone 7.5′s (Mango) screen. The Free version is exactly what it says – it costs nothing so you can only enter a limited amount of information. For example, it only lets you store one telephone number. If you like the idea then you can simply pay $0.99 for the full version and store more telephone numbers. Continue reading
Scanbuy hooks up with Taco Bell & Viafo @ SXSW 12
Rating: Creates ScanSocial game tied into your Twitter account
It seems that Scanbuy is using the SXSW show in Austin to pump up QR codes by running a competition in conjunction with Taco Bell and Viafo. The competition is called ScanSocial and the aim is to be people scanning codes as much as possible at the show. All you have to do is scan the initial QR code (printed here) and then enter your Twitter login. Viafo’s software ensure this links to your existing Twitter profile (thanks to APIs). The system will then generate your own unique code which you need to get other participants at SXSW to scan to earn points. Continue reading
Weekend QR code round-up – breweries taking up the tech
Rating: One beer QR code links to a Xmas video
There’s nothing like testing mobile technology in a real life context to gain a feel for how well it’s actually performing. Over the last few days [February 2012], GoMo News has been pointing its cameraphone at a number of 2D barcodes we spotted in our travels. And we quickly detected a pattern. Those in the brewery trade in particular have definitely recognised the potential offered by the likes of QR codes for gaining a closer contact with their customers. After all, what could be easier than scanning in a 2D barcode whilst wiling your time away at the bar? There’s a definite need for some fine tuning, though. Some of the codes we scanned didn’t actually point us in the right direction. Continue reading
No need for QR code reader with W7 Mango
Rating: There’s one built in already
One of the first actions we took when Vodafone kindly lent GoMo News a Nokia Lumia 710 was to install our favourite applications/ We downloaded both NeoMedia‘s NeoReader and Scanbuy’s ScanLife Classic. Both apps are free so we are a little puzzled as to why W7 Mango users have obviously been buying Barcode Scanner from Therefour Phone 7 for £0.79. Actually, we’ve just discovered that if its QR codes that you want to read, there’s a perfectly good scanner built right into the Windows Phone 7 OS. Continue reading
Print 2D joins the 2D barcode controversy
Rating: EZcodes aren’t always the best 2D barcode to use
Following a searching piece on why BARKCODE picked EZcodes not QR codes here, Beth Silverstein, a publicist with Print2D has responded with her take on the EZcode versus QR and other rival 2D codes battle. She says … I think it’s great that this technology is used to help pets. ScanBuy’s EZ code does print smaller, but so do Data Matrix codes and MS Tags. The problem is not the code, it’s the platform. Continue reading
BARKCODE’s Erickson responds to QR code criticism
Rating: Why we are using Scanbuy’s EZcode not QR codes
Following our previous story revealing that Barkcodes are not standard QR codes here, BARKCODE’s Laura Erickson has responded to ciritcism of the company’s choice of 2D (two-dimensional) barcodes … As the co-founder of BARKCODE, I can tell you that we were the first to market with two-dimensional codes for the purposes of reuniting lost pets with their families. And, we actually started with QR codes. But while QR codes may be great as a marketing tool, we found that it didn’t quite cut the mustard for reuniting lost pets with their owners. Here’s why… Continue reading
Smart QR codes bridge language divide
Rating: QRpedia’s technology automatically recognises the preferred language
If there was ever an extremely clever use of QR codes. then it surely must be what QRpedia is doing with its Smart QR Codes. Basically these are currently aimed at one specific application – to help galleries and museums provide a mountain of information next to a specific exhibit. GoMo News suspects, however, that once news of what can be done with Smart QR codes leaks out, then they’ll be deployed in numerous different applications. What QRpedia can do from a single QR code is display information in the language installed by the handset’s owner. So instead of having to affix multiple codes for each individual language, one QR code fits all. Continue reading
