http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/ Engadget Comments for Tag: Microsoft's first Android app is it http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 7:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/You fool. The first reply was supposed to be 'first'. A la post.
I think that would've been the first first 'first' post to have been highest ranked.]]>Mar 4th 2010 7:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/They mean it's MSFT first Android app. Not the first tag reader ...]]>Mar 4th 2010 7:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/tell me son, what's so special about MSFT? thought it competes in the same arena with the rest of lot, including open source, right?

i genuinely expected them to make a bing app as their priority!]]>Mar 4th 2010 7:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
Yeah .... don't call me 'son' you're creep for doing so,better yet I'd prefer not to hear such slang. No one ever said MSFT was being "special" you're reading way to much into a blog post. Your points are irrelevant and detract from the fact that this very plain and simple post was to inform us that MSFT finally made a 'Adroid' app. Seriously what the hell?]]>Mar 4th 2010 7:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Agreed with Invader Par. I was actually looking forward to upranking the first poster to post "first."]]>Mar 4th 2010 9:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
Ooooh... look! It's the new version of CueCat!]]>Mar 4th 2010 11:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 7:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
also, who actually needs something like this?]]>Mar 4th 2010 7:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
Frankly, I'd never heard of them until this article. In some respects the use of a barcode could make accessing data easier than typing in a URL but the URL is probably more useful in the long-term because they tend to be easily memorised. This isn't something that I see taking off (at least not until we are regularly using Augmented Reality gear) so it does seem odd that this application would be the one that Microsoft releases for Android first. As has already been pointed out, Bing surely should be the priority.]]>Mar 4th 2010 8:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 8:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 9:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 12:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 2:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/i see a few every now and then in the Toronto Star]]>Mar 4th 2010 5:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 9:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 7:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/think your confusing something?
they mean Microsoft made something for an Sndroid phone.
not first tag reader]]>Mar 4th 2010 7:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Still, Linux > Microsoft > Apple]]>Mar 4th 2010 7:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
Er...OK...]]>Mar 4th 2010 8:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 7:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
tags suck QR codes rulez.]]>Mar 4th 2010 7:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 10:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
This really needs to be emphasized more for those not paying attention.

MS Tags are just a reference to the data (like a tinyurl). QR-Codes *are* the data.

In order to get the data behind an MS Tag, you must connect to their servers. It could be sending anything it has access to along with that code data. The Android app requires a lot of permissions (many could be used for marketing):

• Your location, network and GPS: why?
• Network communication: needed since it has to look up the code data, but who-knows what it's sending?
• Personal information, read and write contact data: why?
• Hardware, take pictures: obviously needed.
• Services that cost you money, directly call numbers and send SMS messages: why?
• Keep awake: meh.
• Vibrate: meh.
• Discover known accounts: why?

20 years from now, you'll still be able to read a QR-Codes. Can't say that for sure about MS Tags. I see no significant benefit to using them isntead of QR-Codes.
]]>Mar 5th 2010 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 7:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Wouldn't like those to spread.]]>Mar 4th 2010 7:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 7:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
Yes it does. I myself tried it on my HD2 and suffered the screen rotation issue, so looked elsewhere and found a fully working version for the HD2 on XDA Devs. Just Google MS Tag Reader for HD2 and you'll find it.]]>Mar 4th 2010 8:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
Actioned. Gracias.]]>Mar 4th 2010 10:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 3:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 7:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 7:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/market://search?q=pname:com.microsoft.tag
Alternative: http://www.androidfreeware.org/download/microsoft-tag-reader-2.1.76]]>Mar 4th 2010 8:20AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 8:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/They're not gonna hae a monopoly on it anytime soon (nor should they, competition is good, right phone for right person and all that jazz) so it's in their best interest to make as many of their services (aside from the ones they use to leverage the benefit their core products) available on as many platforms as possible. Why skip an opportunity for money making for the sake of pettiness.

Ever use Office for Mac?]]>Mar 4th 2010 9:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 11:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 8:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 8:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 8:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
This has been available on Symbian phones for a while now. I must admit I've not seen ANY of the tags anywhere.

That being said, compared to Nokia's own inbuilt QR code reader it's 100 times faster! With the Nokia it has to zoom in and out trying to get in focus, there's this red box that struggles to get your hand aligned properly. All in all it can take several attempts and tens of seconds to read QR codes on a Nokia. TagReader on the other hand is almost instantaneous.

the first time it took me by complete surprise as I geared myself up to the usually dance of moving the handset closer and then further away and trying to line it up to the on screen box...none of that. It saw it, it instantly took me to the webpage saved in the tag.

How useful it'll be is yet to be seen. The use of these things is always down to adoption and this system also REQUIRES colour. So it can't just be printed on a black and white newspaper page for instance. Putting your tag on a business card that links to your LinkedIn profile for instance would be a good use case. ]]>Mar 4th 2010 8:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
Not sure if its any better than a QR code, but the Microsoft tag can be done in black/white only as well:

http://blogs.msdn.com/tag/archive/2009/03/20/feature-microsoft-tag-black-and-white.aspx]]>Mar 4th 2010 9:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
I think it just rained in my microSD card.
]]>Mar 4th 2010 9:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 9:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/"I'm going to f—ing bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I'm going to f—ing kill Google,"

Ballmer 2010
"I'm going to f—ing tag that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I'm going to f—ing tag Google,"

Nice to see Ballmer's leadership skills blossoming...]]>Mar 4th 2010 9:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 9:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 9:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
This is exactly my point above. People are more concerned with their anti-Microsoft bashing to stop and think...oh, they've taken QR codes and IMPROVED on it! It's as if, as long as it's Microsoft, they shouldn't improve technology, they should just keep using the same old stale version to placate the fan boys.]]>Mar 4th 2010 9:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
I have zero trouble scanning QR codes with my droid, I don't have the experience you claim to have with focus and phone placement... it scans it really fast and the data is right in the QR code so there's no relying on the server to be up or being in a good coverage area.]]>Mar 4th 2010 11:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/
Improvement in terms of speed and and accuracy. You're moaning about the implementation AFTER the code is read which is another issue. All I know is in real world use my Nokia handsets have so far left me not bothering like when I have a can of Pepsi and they give away games/wallpapers/ringtones using QR codes. I'd be more inclined to use the MS Tag app. I live in London so I'm obviously not used to this "bad coverage" thing Americans constantly complain about.]]>Mar 4th 2010 11:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/Mar 4th 2010 9:52AM