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Tikitag renamed Touchatag, adds QR codes to repertoire
We haven't heard much from Tikitag since they showed up on the scene last September, sticking RFID tags to everything in sight. The Alcatel-Lucent Venture-backed company's popped up on the radar again, only this time it's taken on a more tactile-focused name, Touchatag, and is now touting 2D barcode support, including do-it-yourself tag creation system for adding some QR ciphers to your business cards or anything else you wish to lay claim. No word on the new pricing -- a Tikitag RFID set was supposed to cost $50 in October -- but if you're interested in testing the service out, there's a sign up to join the developer community on their main site.Read - Press ReleaseRead - Touchatag Developer Network
Samsung cameraphones to sport Scanbuy 2D barcode solution
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.
Your iPhone 3G contains a hidden code
An iPhone user in Australia was playing around with his camcorder's NightShot mode (which can see through some materials), when he found that behind the rear plastic clamshell is a DataMatrix 2D barcode. Engadget suspects the barcode is the handset's IMEI and serial numbers. If you have the ability to see and scan your handset's barcode, let us know what information it contains with a comment below!
iPhone on the Road: a substitute for paper boarding passes
Some things sound really cool -- until you actually have to step up and do them in real time. TUAW reader Gerald Buckley's story about traveling with his iPhone strikes me as belonging to this class. When he approached the American Airlines counter to use his iPhone as a boarding pass, the coolness quotient for his entire trip got bumped up several notches. It seems that he navigated over to AA.com using Mobile Safari, signed in and displayed a PDF of his boarding pass on-screen. The American Airlines counter agent in San Antonio "humored" him and scanned the barcode as displayed on his iPhone. The scan worked, and Buckley proceeded with his travels (much to the envy and amazement of his fellow passengers, no doubt). Here's the thing though. If it were me, this would have totally gone another way. First, while waiting on line, I would have had bad WiFi. It would have taken me about 20 minutes to type in my information and the people behind me on line would have been coughing *significantly* to get me to keep moving along with the line as I tried to type, move all my luggage and possibly keep three extremely rambunctious children in order. Finally, I would get to the gate agent and I would have gotten the snarky impatient version -- somehow I always do. Assuming that I could even get all the typing and navigation done, I know in my heart that the response would have been "you need a printed boarding pass, ma'am." Of course, this is entirely academic because I have not been granted a boarding pass for the last 5 or 6 years due entirely, I'm sure, to my last name. It's always "You must check in at the counter" -- which is way easier than even a boarding pass because I just swipe my credit card. All that having been said, TUAW congratulates Mr. Buckley's ingenuity and offers the example of his experience to speed you your travels in a uniquely geek fashion. If you've got the travel bug (with or without your iPhone), be sure to visit our sister site Gadling for all things flight-related.
Firm proposes "double QR code" -- we say, why stop there?
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]
Show floor video: Intelliscan Mini does handheld media inventory
We are blessed on the Mac platform with many good ways to keep track of our stuff -- but Intelliscanner takes it to the next level, with a range of integrated scanner and software solutions that will have you tracking your movies, books, wine and comics with barcoded accuracy and ease. We visited the Inteliiscanner booth at Macworld for a demo of the Mini, a handheld scanner that can hold 150 item scans before downloading via USB to the host. The bundle retails for $299 but there's a show special through the end of January (and I'm contacting Intelliscan now to make sure it's still running & get the discount code for you) and unlike some other Macworld vendors, they really mean "show special" -- the offer ended Friday. Video after the jump (and pay no attention to the title card... editing mixup on my part).
Groqit barcode scanner has your hippocampus' back
C'mon, we've all done it. Standing vigilantly in front of the DVD section, our mind races to remember whether or not we already own Land Before Time 11: Invasion of the Tinysauruses, and in a fit of frustration, we make the purchase anyway only to come home and find it sitting peacefully in one of the thirteen movie racks. If that hits home, you should definitely take a peek at Groqit -- a handheld barcode scanner that prefers to be called a "personal inventory management system." Owners simply scan in every book, CD and DVD they own, take it along for any future shopping sprees and use it to tell whether or not they've already purchased a given title. It should be noted, however, that it doesn't play nice with jewel cases, but apparently, the manufacturer thinks the $95 price tag more than compensates. Honestly, is the return process that much of a hassle?
Delicious Library 2 preview
Scott Stevenson has posted a very short but sweet preview of Delicious Library 2, due out sometime after Leopard hits next week (according to Wil Shipley, it may be as late as February). The already beautiful program (that coined a generation) looks better than ever, and it's made better, we're told, by all the great stuff going into Leopard, from Core Animation to the new Quicklook (you'll be able to drag books and DVDs out of the library to make little files of their own, which will then be viewable in Quicklook itself). And there's other touches, too-- selected items glow, when you delete a book it "shatters," and details don't just appear, they "pop into view" like on the iPhone.And there are updates behind the graphics, too-- a faster barcode scanner, some super seekrit features (that is "worth the purchase price" for parents-- ??), and sharing features, which means finally, this program has a real purpose other than just staring at the stuff you own. You'll be able to share your collection with friends and even strangers-- can't wait to see how that works.Sounds like fun. Stevenson says he wants Delicious Library 2 to set the benchmark for the first generation of Leopard apps, so we can definitely expect big, shiny stuff from these folks. Please, Delicious, show us how it's done.
Another failed smart shopping cart concept shown off by EDS
At this point we've seen so many variations on the "smart shopping cart" concept bubble up and fail we're pretty jaded, but the latest version, from Electronic Data Systems, seems like it almost maybe has a chance. Unlike previous concepts, the EDS model is built around the humble bar code: swiping items as you place them in your cart lets you keep a running tally of nutritional information, ethical sourcing, and environmental impact, letting you modify your purchasing decisions simply and quickly. Keeping it simple might be the winning strategy here, but we're not going to be convinced until the carts at our local can do more than just veer straight left.[Via Vegetarian Organic Blog]
RH Hall prepping bar code-scanning Maestrowave
Microwaves with built-in bar code scanners aren't exactly entirely new, but it looks like those in the foodservice industry will soon be getting a new button-less fix to call their own, this one coming from RH Hall. As with similar units, RH Hall's so-called "Maestrowave" lets you simply swipe a package of food in front of it, with then automatically setting the appropriate time and cooking power. Unfortunately, it's still in the prototype stage (which could account its current low-budget sci-fi prop look), although the company says they expect to have it ready by the first quarter of next year.
The wonderful technology behind Eye of Judgement
The Sony-developed key component behind Eye of Judgement is called the flux capacitor Cybercode. This award-winning tech was built upon "the Matrix method," a visual identification technique that "identifies real world objects and estimates their coordinate systems simultaneously." In essence, it turns a barcode-like symbol on a game board into a sweet-looking fire-breathing dragon.The 2D matrix code relies on a square-shaped barcode and since the matrix codes are printable, it offers a low-cost technology with high-tech appeal. It's not exactly new, since this particular technology has been in research for some time. The original video shown here (after the cut) dates as far back as 1996. It's amazing stuff and we can't wait to play with it in Eye of Judgement. How about you?[Via PS3Forums]
Microsoft's 'elite' HCCB barcodes to contain promo extras
High Capacity Color Barcode: Microsoft's solution to the storage-deficient UPC. Up to two-pages of data can be stored in the four- and eight-color geometric patterns. That's double the amount a traditional UPC can store, according to BBC.The HCCB will find its way onto Xbox 360 discs (and standard DVDs) by the end of the year as a 'partner' barcode. "The UPC barcodes will always be there. Ours is more of a niche barcode where you want to put a lot of information in a small space," Microsoft Research engineering director Gavin Jancke told BBC. But why?It seems that camera phones have the iddy biddy keys to unlock the jumbled mess of triangles. Snap a photo and you've got yourself a web address. Hit up the website and you'll find a pot of digital swag. Viva free wallpaper!Eh, anything to turn the tide of a console war, right?
Colored barcode system coming to Xbox 360 games
Later this year Microsoft will incorporate a new High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB) into all Xbox 360 games. The new colored barcode can hold twice as much data (3,500 characters) than a standard black and white UPC and has the ability to be read by digital cameras or cell phones. Microsoft says that it is entirely possible to take a picture of a game's colored barcode with a cell phone and access additional content via the internet if such information was embedded in the barcode. Microsoft was also clear in saying that the new HCCB will be a partner to the old UPC code and will not be replacement. Taking a picture of your Xbox 360 game's colorful barcode and being forwarded to some sort of online domain is the sweetness. Though, we doubt it'll ever be used for such purposes, but it's about time we get color in our barcoding system. Now we just have to wait for that new HD barcode to hit the streets.
Microsoft readies colorful QR code competitor
While QR codes and their ilk have been big in Japan for years, they haven't exactly been quick to catch on 'round these parts, where we've had to be content with old school bar bodes for our product identification needs. Microsoft looks to be trying to change that situation, however, with the company set to roll out its so-called High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB) later this year with the assistance of the International Standard Audiovisual Number International Agency (ISAN-IA). While their use will apparently initially be limited to DVD media, Microsoft eventually sees the codes being used on TV, in magazines, and on billboards (among other places), from which you'll be able to scan 'em with your cellphone to get additional information about a product. Of course, good looks are the codes' only selling point, with Microsoft also promising that they'll make anything tagged with them harder to counterfeit.
FCC reveals the Inventec "Iris"
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
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.
Motorola buying Symbol Technologies for $3.9 billion
Two of our favorite companies (well, more like two companies that we've heard of) have just announced that they'll be getting nice and cozy in the next few months, with cellphone giant Motorola agreeing to buy barcode-scannin', RFID-taggin' Symbol Technologies for about $3.9 billion. Besides handsets, Moto also has a significant foothold in the mobile enterprise market, and Symbol's RFID, barcode, and ruggedized PDA products will supposedly double its presence in inventory management while at the same time "being accretive to earnings," according to analyst Lawrence Harris of Oppenheimer & Company. The deal will reportedly be completed later this year or in early 2007, at which time Motorola will change the name of its new acquisition to SMBL.
Student project can scan your veal and scold you for it
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]
