Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget 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/<![CDATA[Microsoft Tag adds support for QR codes and NFC, seeks barcode dominance]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/14/microsoft-tag-adds-support-for-qr-codes-and-nfc-seeks-barcode-d/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/14/microsoft-tag-adds-support-for-qr-codes-and-nfc-seeks-barcode-d/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/14/microsoft-tag-adds-support-for-qr-codes-and-nfc-seeks-barcode-d/#comments
Last year, Microsoft Tag shed its beta skin and stepped out into the wild world of multi-colored barcodes. Now, Redmond has decided to revamp and expand its system, with additional support for both QR codes and NFC capabilities. The update effectively allows businesses and individuals to create their own proprietary Tags or QR codes, while enabling consumers to scan said codes with their Microsoft Tag apps, or NFC-enabled smartphones. The new features are now available on Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry handsets, reflecting Microsoft's ambitions to dominate a space that has yet to fully develop.

Microsoft Tag adds support for QR codes and NFC, seeks barcode dominance originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbarcodebarcode scannerBarcodeScannerblackberrybusinesshandsetiosmicrosoftmicrosoft tagMicrosoftTagminipostnear field communicationNearFieldCommunicationnfcqr codeQrCoderedmondsmartphonetagvendorwindows phoneWindowsPhoneWed, 14 Dec 2011 10:19:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft 'Tags' 2 billion real-world objects with its phone-friendly barcodes]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/27/microsoft-tags-2-billion-real-world-objects-with-its-phone-fri/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/27/microsoft-tags-2-billion-real-world-objects-with-its-phone-fri/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/27/microsoft-tags-2-billion-real-world-objects-with-its-phone-fri/#comments Microsoft might be late to the cameraphone-able barcode game, but it appears to be making up for lost time. Its multi-colored (and, frankly, rather attractive) Tag barcodes added a few important innovations on top of the general QR code concept, and apparently to good effect: 2 billion Tags have been printed since the January 2009 launch, and 1 billion of those Tags were printed in the past four months. Sounds like Microsoft has found some momentum, and they claim to have gained a lead in the publishing industry already. Obviously, the analytics, customization, and anti-fragmentation nature appeals to Big Barcode, but we'll have to wait and see if Tag is the ultimate choice of the everyman. Plus, won't ads be able to hack our brains and implant URLs at-will soon enough? We're holding out for that.

Continue reading Microsoft 'Tags' 2 billion real-world objects with its phone-friendly barcodes

Microsoft 'Tags' 2 billion real-world objects with its phone-friendly barcodes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barcodebarcodesmicrosoftmicrosoft tagMicrosoftTagqr codeqr codesQrCodeQrCodestagtagsWed, 27 Oct 2010 20:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Google, Verizon, Comcast, and more band together to form tech (and policy) advisory group]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/09/google-verizon-comcast-and-more-band-together-to-form-tech-a/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/09/google-verizon-comcast-and-more-band-together-to-form-tech-a/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/09/google-verizon-comcast-and-more-band-together-to-form-tech-a/#comments BITAG doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, as far as spoken acronyms go, but the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (also goes by TAG, for short) is looking to make (radio) waves. Facilitated by former FCC Chief Technologist (and University of Colorado at Boulder Adjunct Professor) Dale Hatfield, the group aims to "develop consensus on broadband network management practices and other related technical issues that can affect users' experience," which largely leads to addressing technical issues and making suggestions to policymakers. The group runs the gamut of major players in the broadband industry, including AT&T, Cisco, Comcast, DISH, EchoStar, Google, Intel, Level 3, Microsoft, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon.

Naturally, the aforementioned companies already on board are lauding the move, and for its part the NCTA is happy to see a forum for tech and engineering experts to openly discuss issues and policies. Providing the counterargument would be the folks at DSL Reports, who show reserve that this may end up being nothing more than "policy dog and pony show" to avoid stricter government regulations on network neutrality. At this point that remains to be seen, as this organization doesn't seem to have even hit infancy yet. Expect more in the coming weeks as it continues to form and attempts to organize. We submit for your perusal the press release, just after the break.

Continue reading Google, Verizon, Comcast, and more band together to form tech (and policy) advisory group

Google, Verizon, Comcast, and more band together to form tech (and policy) advisory group originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>at and tat tAtAndTAtTbitagbroadbandbroadband internetbroadband internet technical advisory groupBroadbandInternetBroadbandInternetTechnicalAdvisoryGroupcableciscocomcastdale hatfieldDaleHatfielddishdslecho starEchoStarfccgooglegovernmentgrouphatfieldintellevel 3level threeLevel3LevelThreemicrosoftnet neutralityNetNeutralitynetwork neutralityNetworkNeutralityneutralitypolicyregulationtagtechnical advisory groupTechnicalAdvisoryGrouptime warnertime warner cableTimeWarnerTimeWarnerCabletwcverizonWed, 09 Jun 2010 18:46:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft Tag comes out of beta, promises free colorful codes for all]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/microsoft-tag-comes-out-of-beta-promises-free-colorful-codes-fo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/microsoft-tag-comes-out-of-beta-promises-free-colorful-codes-fo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/microsoft-tag-comes-out-of-beta-promises-free-colorful-codes-fo/#commentsMicrosoft Tag comes out of beta, promises free colorful codes for allIt was about a year and a half ago that Microsoft decided it could do QR codes better, that any universal coding system needed a dash of color, and launched Tag. Now, the roughly one billion Tags that users have printed have been made a little less illegitimate, with Microsoft bringing the service out of beta and taking the opportunity to toot Tag's trumpet a bit. The codes have appeared in 20 million magazines so far and have recently been deployed to create a sort of tour for geeks in Amsterdam (no word on whether our own international man of mystery is featured). Meanwhile America's cultural hub, the Mall of America, has been similarly bestickered to "enhance customer engagement," but based on our previous experiences at that bastion of commercialism we're thinking scooters and foot massages might have been more effective.

Microsoft Tag comes out of beta, promises free colorful codes for all originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bar codeBarCodebetacodemicrosoftmicrosoft tagMicrosoftTagofficialqr codeQrCodetagFri, 28 May 2010 13:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Tag: Microsoft's first Android app is it]]>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/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/tag-microsofts-first-android-app-is-it/#comments Everybody loves a world's first. So we might as well mention that Microsoft just released its very first application written for Google's competitive Android smartphone platform: Microsoft Tag Reader. Tag, as you might recall, is Microsoft's pseudo QR code implementation that uses high capacity color "barcodes" to link back to content. Download the app from the Android Market, scan a Tag with any camera enabled Android phone, and the linked data will automatically load on your device, be it a web page, video, advertisement, coupon, etc. Of course, readers without tags are as useless as tags without a wide swath of people with devices to read them -- so really, Microsoft has no choice but develop its Tag apps (already available for WinMo, Symbian, Blackberry, and iPhone handsets) for as many platforms as possible. First!

Tag: Microsoft's first Android app is it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidappbarcodefirstgooglemarketmicrosoftqr codeQrCodetagtag readerTagReaderThu, 04 Mar 2010 06:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft Tag makes a video appearance, still seeking popularity]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/01/microsoft-tag-makes-a-video-appearance-still-seeking-popularity/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/01/microsoft-tag-makes-a-video-appearance-still-seeking-popularity/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/01/microsoft-tag-makes-a-video-appearance-still-seeking-popularity/#comments "It's the hyperlink in the physical world" says a Microsoft PR man, giving us the most succinct definition of what Redmond's Tag initiative is all about. Having announced its alternative take on the barcode at CES 2009, Microsoft has been working behind the scenes on proliferating the use of these multicolored Tags, which are designed to be snapped by nearby cameraphones. Once the pattern is recognized, you can obtain digital content directly on your phone -- whether it be a website link, YouTube video, or whatever -- and the uses are pretty much limitless: business cards, product packaging, magazines, anything that can benefit from supplemental online content and has a flat surface is a candidate to be Tagged. Such is the theory anyhow, and Microsoft's doing all it can to make it happen, with software for most mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Video demonstration after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft Tag makes a video appearance, still seeking popularity

Microsoft Tag makes a video appearance, still seeking popularity originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barcodebarcodeshccbHigh Capacity Color BarcodeHighCapacityColorBarcodemicrosoftmicrosoft tagmicrosoft tagsMicrosoftTagMicrosoftTagssmartphonetagtagsvideoMon, 01 Feb 2010 08:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft co-opts QR codes, Pet Shop Boys 'not stoked']]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/10/microsoft-co-opts-qr-codes-pet-shop-boys-not-stoked/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/10/microsoft-co-opts-qr-codes-pet-shop-boys-not-stoked/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/10/microsoft-co-opts-qr-codes-pet-shop-boys-not-stoked/#comments
Microsoft has announced that they're jumping onto the mobile tagging thing, having developed a system of High Capacity Color Barcodes that encode information in tags smaller than those allowed by QRCode and Datamatrix formats. Additionally, the specification has been designed to work with out-of-focus and fixed-focus cameras, making the thing more feasible for cellphone use. Although the "humanities" angle is kind of cute -- the company is rightfully stoked over the fact that HCCBs were on exhibit at MoMA in New York -- this is clearly aimed at organizations looking to sell more people even more useless junk. Hooray for conspicuous consumption!

Filed under:

Microsoft co-opts QR codes, Pet Shop Boys 'not stoked' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cesces 2009Ces2009microsoftmicrosoft tagmicrosofttagpet shop boyspetshopboysqrqr codeqrcodetagSat, 10 Jan 2009 09:36:00 EST