QRCode
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Shell petrol stations to let you pay with your phone using PayPal
Those of us in the know are patiently waiting for QR code technology to take off, as it inevitably will, but Shell and PayPal aren't willing to stand by and end up falling behind the curve. Pouncing on the flourishing standard, the two have shaken hands on a deal that'll soon let patrons at Shell petrol stations pay for fuel using only their phones, PayPal details, and some well-placed QR codes. Having successfully trialed the mobile payment method way back in 2013, it's ready to roll out to the "vast majority" of Shell garages in April, though will initially be reserved for members of Shell's Drivers' Club programme before randoms can get involved later this year. "Using a debit or credit card to pay at the pump simply isn't convenient enough," a fictional spokesperson commented, adding that booting up the Android/iOS Shell Motorist or Paypal apps, and pairing with a pump via a QR code so your PayPal credentials can be charged is the stuff futuristic nightmares dreams are made of. A receipt of the transaction will also be sent to your phone when you're done, confirming you've successfully completed the process and not screeched off with a full, free tank.
Beer bottles deliver your video message through QR codes
You know how a bottle of beer can help make some particularly bad news easier to swallow? Argentinian beer brand Andes doesn't only believe that, it's taking that idea to the next level -- by letting people record themselves using its app and digitally attach the video to a QR code printed on its bottles' labels, which any recipient can scan. The company joined forces with ad agency Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi to make this "message in a bottle" idea happen and to launch two rather amusing video ads (below the fold) to go along with it. While Andes wants to present the concept as a way to say something you can't in person, we can only imagine the number of, um, unsavory and drunk videos that could be recorded on Friday nights. Good thing the whole system is similar to Snapchat: videos are stored in the cloud and get deleted once they're viewed.
Poynt's smart store terminal lets you pay any way you like
One of the many reasons you don't see widespread support for mobile payment tech like Apple Pay or Google Wallet is the hardware investment needed to make it all work. Why should a store spend thousands of dollars on machines that miss out on some features, or will be obsolete in a few years? That's what Poynt wants to fix with its new smart terminal. The Android-powered device takes just about every form of payment imaginable, including NFC transactions from your phone, chip-and-pin cards, QR codes and old-fashioned magnetic stripe cards. You can even add a cash drawer through USB. The countertop machine also has Bluetooth beacon support for in-store offers, and its app platform lets stores adapt to new services by either downloading apps or writing their own.
Wallpaper lets your friends borrow e-books from real-world shelves
As convenient as e-books may be, lending them to friends is a headache; copyright woes notwithstanding, it's simply hard to show what you have on offer. Vodafone Romania just made things a bit easier, though. Its new Digital Library Wallpaper gives you real-world (if very flat) bookshelves to showcase your digital wares. As the library owner, you order a custom adhesive wallpaper that reflects the free e-books you've chosen at Vodafone's website. Once the print is on display, visitors to your home just have to scan QR codes to borrow titles and start reading.
Air Berlin's latest iOS app can push boarding passes to your Pebble
Still carrying a paper boarding pass when you travel? Air Berlin's got a new way to go green this Earth Day. The airline's iOS app now sports Pebble integration, letting you display boarding passes and flight information on your smartwatch. You can pull up the QR code-style pass on your wrist when it's time to board -- the agent will be able to confirm your seat and flight info as soon as you scan, eliminating the need to pull out your phone as you queue up at the gate. Air Berlin is the second airline to offer this feature -- Vueling teamed up with Sony to add boarding pass functionality to the SmartWatch 2 just last month -- and we can only hope US carriers will follow suit.
Borderlands 2 mobile app turns QR codes into absurd in-game armaments (update: how it works!)
Borderlands 2 is attempting the Herculean task of exciting people about QR codes. With its new LootTheWorld mobile app, Gearbox Software (Borderlands, Brothers in Arms and, er, Aliens: Colonial Marine) is turning any barcode or QR square into in-game gear like acid-burst armor or a flame-spewing sniper rifle with a 12x zoom scope. Whether you bought the game last year or just downloaded it for free from the PlayStation Store, this app could be one of the more useful mobile companions on your phone. Perhaps best of all, it's free and available right now from iTunes and Google Play. We've reached out to Gearbox for info on how the loot is determined and will update this post if we hear back. You should hurry along though; Mercenary Day is almost upon us. Update: Gearbox got back to us about how the app determines what gear comes from the scans. The loot is totally random (just like it is in the game proper), but there's a twist: Once you scan a product UPC or a QR code, the generated item is forever tied to that item. For instance, if you get a rocket launcher that does ice damage from a box of Honey Nut Cheerios, everyone who scans the cereal will get it. Gearbox's Adam Fletcher tells us this was designed so you could tell your friends where to find wacky kit in the real world. When we asked how the loot distribution worked, Fletcher assured us it was totally random and not tied to a real-world product's price. "A small box of paper clips could mean a legendary and your 50-inch Samsung [TV] may not," he said.
Microsoft shows how to redeem an Xbox One download code in six seconds (video)
How quickly can you redeem an Xbox One download code? Quickly enough to fit the experience into a six-second Vine video, apparently. Microsoft's Major Nelson has just posted one of the looping clips (after the break) to prove that you can scan codes with the console's Kinect sensor in mere moments. It's doubtful that anyone will need to grab content quite that quickly, but the demo is a friendly reminder of the time we'll save by ditching old-fashioned keyboard input after November 22nd.
Findables: iPhone cases with an identity
There's something new in the crowded iPhone case market: cases with an identity. Findables has a line of iPhone cases that include a small, unique QR code that can be tied -- through a free iPhone app -- to your social network accounts. That same code can even help others return a lost iPhone to you. Let's take a look at the Findables FlexWrap (US$29.95) and FlexStand ($29.95) cases, and then you can have a chance to win one courtesy of Findables and TUAW. Both the FlexWrap and FlexStand cases look like run-of-the-mill iPhone cases, crafted out of the usual polycarbonate material in multiple colors. The FlexWrap is a protective shell, while the FlexStand has a fold out stand to make watching videos a breeze. But as I noted earlier, the big selling point for both of these products is the tiny QR code on back of the case. When you get one of the Findables cases, you download the free app from the App Store and then use it to scan the QR code and create a Findables profile. That profile can contain links to a number of social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ and more. Now when you meet someone and they just happen to have a QR code reader app on their device (standard for Android, not so much in the iOS world), scanning that little code on the back of your iPhone case sends them to your Findables profile. From there, they can link to you on all of those social networks, so it's akin to a QR code business card. The Findables app also gives iPhone users a way to read QR codes if they don't currently have an app that will read them. Of course, a quick glance at the App Store reveals a number of other QR-friendly apps that your friends can download to read your Findables case. Findables also touts the cases as being useful for returning a lost iPhone to you, although I frankly can't see how it would be any more useful than Find My iPhone. Conclusion Findables has produced an iPhone case with an interesting twist; tying a personal profile to a QR code imprinted on the case. The cases are reasonably priced and should do a good job of protecting your iPhone investment. Pros QR code provides a link to a personal profile; show someone your case and let them scan it to get information about you. Reasonably priced and well made. Findables FlexStand has a very usable flip-out stand design that's great for watching video without holding your device. Cons New friends and business associates will need to have a QR code-reading app installed on their device to be able to access your information. Who is it for? Anyone who would like an inexpensive iPhone 5 case that provides a relatively simple way for others to find out more about you through a web-based profile. Giveaway TUAW and Findables have two cases to give away. One's a FlexWrap, while the other is a FlexStand. Both cases work with the iPhone 5 or 5s. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before October 20, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected. One will receive a Findables FlexWrap case (black) valued at $29.95, while the other receives a Findables FlexStand (blue with orange highlights) valued at $29.95 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
App featured on Shark Tank reaches App Store's top spot
ABC's entrepreneur investor reality show Shark Tank is currently the number one TV show in its Friday time slot, drawing 6.4 million viewers total and 1.7 million in the ever-important 18-49 demographic. A panel of millionaires and billionaires listen to pitches from entrepreneurs looking for investors in their companies. Some people walk away with millions of dollars in investments, others with nothing. But how does an appearance on the show impact your company when you don't win over the investors? For one app developer, the answer is swimmingly. Garret Gee's startup Scan appeared this past Friday, October 12, on the show seeking US$1 million for his QR-code scanning mobile app. While his pitch was denied by the investors, viewers were sold, and his app has jumped wildly in the charts since the show aired. On Thursday, Scan, which sells for $1.99, was 150 out of all paid apps in the App Store and number five out of the utilities apps. After the appearance on Shark Tank, the app hit number one on the paid utilities apps and 25 out of all paid apps. On Friday, Gee wrote to AllThingsD to explain his motives for going on the show. "We were open to a deal, but exposure was definitely a top priority/perk." While the investors on the show weren't impressed, the company has been noticed by some powerful players in the tech world. Recently Entree Capital, Google Ventures and Menlo Ventures valued Scan at $21 million, and the company has raised over $7 million dollars to date. Even without the investors' money, it seems like the Shark Tank appearance was a wise investment of Gee's time.
PayPal's Payment Code lets you purchase with QR codes
Still trying to get the hang of NFC purchasing and the many, many other forms of digital payment? PayPal has now launched another that'll let you procure items via a QR code. You can pay by checking in with PayPal at a given store, after which you can enter a PIN or bring up a QR code for the merchant to scan. PayPal says that along with the extra convenience, the main advantage for consumers will be the ability to redeem any coupons, rewards or gift cards you may have saved in your PayPal digital wallet. Meanwhile, stores will be able to accept digital payments without needing to adopt new technology, and can use their existing scanners or mobile payment systems. PayPal plans to launch the system and give more details by Q1 2014, but meanwhile you do have a few other options.
Barclays Pingit now lets UK shoppers pay for web purchases using their smartphone
Barclays Pingit is a neat multi-platform app for paying the odd bill or shooting over your share of Friday's curry to a friend, regardless of which bank you use. Today, Barclays announced new ways businesses can use the payment platform: a "Pay with Barclays Pingit" button can now be added to websites and apps, which should shorten the time between impulse and transaction -- anyone that regularly uses PayPal for online purchases will get the general idea. Also, if an advertisement should take someone's fancy, the "buy it" feature allows that person to scan a QR code, check out product info, and complete the purchase then and there. It's up to retailers to add these new options, of course, so don't expect to find them everywhere from today. QR codes just won't die, will they?
Microsoft Tag closing on August 19th 2015, reminds us all crappy things must end
You know how QR Codes still aren't really a thing? Just imagine how popular Microsoft's proprietary alternative to the format has been. In a letter to its users, Redmond has conceded that Microsoft Tag will pass the way of all things on August 19th, 2015. That said, if you can't live without the system, QR Code company Scanbuy will be supporting certain Tag components from September of this year. We've included a suitably redacted version of the company's letter after the break, but be warned -- it contains toe-curling phrases like "digitally engage with brands in their everyday surroundings through smartphones." [Thanks, Carter]
Microsoft and Nokia launch Music Mix Party, let friends share a streaming Xbox playlist (video)
We've seen a few attempts at shared audio streaming, but many of these depend on specialized apps or hardware. Microsoft and Nokia could clear that hurdle with their newly launched Nokia Music Mix Party, which leans on what many of us have at home. Xbox 360 owners with an Xbox Live Gold subscription just have to visit a website that starts an artist-based streaming playlist with a custom QR code; after that, anyone in the room with a mobile device can scan the code and vote on which songs should play next. The service is free to use during July, although we don't yet know if and how pricing will change afterward. Is Mix Party simple? You bet -- but it could keep guests happy at future shindigs, even if they don't care for our tastes in music.
Xbox One to let gamers scan download codes using Kinect
Many console gamers know the drudgery of entering a download code with a gamepad or keyboard. Now that Kinect is part and parcel of the Xbox One experience, however, they'll always get to skip that step: Microsoft's Marc Whitten has revealed that system owners can scan the codes with the Kinect camera. While this is really an extension of what the original Kinect can do -- Kinectimals takes advantage of QR codes, for example -- it should be a big help for gamers who'd rather be playing than typing.
Mercedes-Benz plan will put QR codes on cars to speed up rescues
We joke that most people don't like QR codes, but those codes link to a lot of information through one snapshot -- and Mercedes-Benz may just use that efficiency to save lives. The automaker is putting the symbols on vehicles so that emergency crews just need a phone camera scan for easy access to rescue sheets, which are schematics that show where to cut into a wrecked car when recovering trapped passengers. With such immediate knowledge, rescuers don't have to wait for a model confirmation or else risk cutting wires and fuel lines. While we'll initially see the QR codes only in Mercedes-Benz cars made this year and beyond (placed inside the fuel door and on the opposite side B-pillar), the company isn't being selfish: it's refusing to patent its method in the hope that every vehicle manufacturer will quickly embrace the technology.
RE/MAX real estate agents to carry Passbook business cards on their iPhones
We've seen some creative use cases for Passbook in iOS 6. Modernizing the dreaded business card exchange is still fresh, though, and that's where the real estate agents at RE/MAX come into play. Using a platform from Vizibility, the realtor is reportedly the first company rolling out a large-scale, Passbook-based method that lets 4,500 of its staff share their basic details, contact files and social networks from their iPhones. Profiles won't just be inert listings, either. Geofencing can limit the lock screen shortcut to an open house or the office, while cards can include company directories and update contacts over time. NFC transfers and QR codes are available for those who can rely on short-range wireless or still have to dish out traditional paper stock. Vizibility's Passbook approach won't guarantee a sale for a cramped house -- but it might keep a good bargain from being lost in the business card shuffle.
Acoustic barcodes store data in sound, go on just about anything (video)
Technologies like NFC, RFID and QR codes are quickly becoming a normal part of everyday life, and now a group from Carnegie Mellon University has a fresh take on close-quarters data it calls acoustic barcodes. It involves physically etching a barcode-like pattern onto almost any surface, so it produces sound when something's dragged across it -- a fingernail, for example. A computer is then fed that sound through a microphone, recognizes the waveform and executes a command based on it. By altering the space between the grooves, it's possible to create endless unique identifiers that are associated with different actions. It's easy to see how smartphones could take advantage of this -- not that we recommend dragging your new iPhone over ridged surfaces -- but unlike the technologies mentioned earlier, not all potential applications envisage a personal reading device. Dot barcodes around an area, install the sound processing hardware on site, and you've got yourself an interactive space primed for breaking freshly manicured nails. We're pretty impressed by the simplicity of the concept, and the team does a good job of presenting scenarios for implementing it, which you can see in the video below. And, if you'd like to learn a little more about the idea or delve into the full academic paper, the source links await you. [Thanks, Julia]
Target adds QR codes to hot holiday toys for secret shopping
Well, this one should give parents with ever-present ankle-biters reason to celebrate. Starting Sunday, October 14th, Target will make a special in-store area available highlighting 20 of the most sought-after toys -- all tagged with QR codes for one-stop, secret mobile shopping. The initiative is being targeted at consumers (read: frazzled Moms and Dads) who need to conduct their frenzied gift-buying without the prying eyes of curious children. You'll have to install the company's app to scan the codes and opt-in for the free shipping, but it's really no more complicated than that. All told, it's an added bit of convenience that should relieve some of that mad holiday stress, but it's definitely bad news for the impulse buyer. You can check out the PR after the break for the full list of included products.
Bank of America testing QR Code scanning mobile payment system in North Carolina
Mobile payment is still a bit of a wild west at the moment, and seemingly every technological and financial institution has a dog in this fight. Bank of America's not going to just sit idly by and watch it all unfold. The US's second largest bank has flirted with NFC in the past and is currently doing trials with QR scanning in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it's based. At present, five sellers in the area are taking part in the pilot program, with bank employees given access to the technology. The three-month trial is the result of a partnership with mobile payment company Paydiant, is compatible with Android handsets and iPhones, no NFC needed, naturally.
New 'nano-code' could help fight banknote forgery by embedding invisible QR-style ciphers
We've all seen (and probably used) QR codes at some point. And, handy as they are for quick linking to apps, or value added content etc, there's usually not much else going on. Unless you're one of the team at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, that is, who have created a tiny version of the quadrilateral-codes that could be used to spot counterfeit money. The invention uses nanoparticles combined with blue and green fluorescent ink, and can be sprayed onto surfaces such as glass, plastic film, or of course, pictures of American presidents. The nano-code remains invisible until placed under a near-infrared laser, making it ideal for helping spot legit bank notes. The creators say they have done significant wear tests, which suggest that it's durable, but they also accept that eventually criminal technology could eventually catch up, in the constant cat and mouse game between mandated money producers and forgers. Whether there'd be links to the Benjamin Franklin Wiki page is unclear.
