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I don't understand why they force you to install an app. Why not just txt msg (MMS) or email it (iphone/blackberry) and then get a response with a URL or even

by far33d 19y ago

I don't understand why they force you to install an app. Why not just txt msg (MMS) or email it (iphone/blackberry) and then get a response with a URL or even some basic inline text commands?

iamwil 19y ago
The app isn't by google. I don't think Google processes the barcodes for you on their server. Their announcement is just saying that their print advertising program for large companies will now include 2D barcodes. That means you, as a consumer, need to process the 2D barcodes on you client (the phone), and take the decoded URL and pass it on to the phone's web browser.
- airhadoken 19y ago
  It's a good indication that the chicken-and-egg problem isn't such a problem in this case. I see a lot of potential for interesting things to do with this. There was always a lot of future-looking hot air when I was in school about how location-aware content delivery was the thing to do. It really was a lot of hot air because nobody really wants the kind of content you'd put on such a stream. But say you're standing in line for a Sox game (Red, White, doesn't matter which) and they've got a list of upcoming home games posted. Snap the barcode next to a game time/date to go to the ticket sales site for that day. On your way out, when you're at the bus stop, snap the barcode to get an estimate of when the next bus will arrive. Simple. If I were a band, and I knew that cell phone calendar/event managers supported iCal event files, I'd put barcodes that directed people to the file on my website, so my next show would show up on their calendars.
danw 19y ago
If you have to send a picture message or email in order to get a url back you might as well send a blank message. The most popular technique in the UK seems to be sending a keyword to a shortcode, eg "EAT to 2580" There's an interesting breakdown of QR code usage vs blank message at http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/07/accessing-urls-in-advertisements-from-mobile-phones/ http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/07/accessing-urls-in-adve...
- far33d 19y ago
  What if I send a picture of a barcode w/ the text "buy" and bam.. it shows up in the mail a few days later.
  - danw 19y ago
    Perfect, bringing the impulse of real world transaction to ecommerce. Could even do it with a normal upc barcode instead of Qr/semacode. Imagine being to do that with a music CD and the songs automagically start downloading to your phone (possible iPhone app?)
    - far33d 19y ago
      That would be very cool... I've read that scanning regular barcodes with a cameraphone is difficult, but I believe there are some people making headway with it. If it were music, I'd rather just make a call to a number, have it listen to whatever song is in the background, and then download it for me. Fred Wilson has talked about txt based commerce a bit as well - http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2008/01/texting-in-purc.html http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2008/01/texting-in-purc.html
      - danw 19y ago
        I think you can do the phone call music purchasing in the UK with Shazam (2580)

by far33d 19y ago

I don't understand why they force you to install an app. Why not just txt msg (MMS) or email it (iphone/blackberry) and then get a response with a URL or even some basic inline text commands?

iamwil 19y ago

The app isn't by google. I don't think Google processes the barcodes for you on their server. Their announcement is just saying that their print advertising program for large companies will now include 2D barcodes. That means you, as a consumer, need to process the 2D barcodes on you client (the phone), and take the decoded URL and pass it on to the phone's web browser.

airhadoken 19y ago
It's a good indication that the chicken-and-egg problem isn't such a problem in this case. I see a lot of potential for interesting things to do with this. There was always a lot of future-looking hot air when I was in school about how location-aware content delivery was the thing to do. It really was a lot of hot air because nobody really wants the kind of content you'd put on such a stream. But say you're standing in line for a Sox game (Red, White, doesn't matter which) and they've got a list of upcoming home games posted. Snap the barcode next to a game time/date to go to the ticket sales site for that day. On your way out, when you're at the bus stop, snap the barcode to get an estimate of when the next bus will arrive. Simple. If I were a band, and I knew that cell phone calendar/event managers supported iCal event files, I'd put barcodes that directed people to the file on my website, so my next show would show up on their calendars.

danw 19y ago

If you have to send a picture message or email in order to get a url back you might as well send a blank message. The most popular technique in the UK seems to be sending a keyword to a shortcode, eg "EAT to 2580" There's an interesting breakdown of QR code usage vs blank message at http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/07/accessing-urls-in-advertisements-from-mobile-phones/ http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/07/accessing-urls-in-adve...

far33d 19y ago
What if I send a picture of a barcode w/ the text "buy" and bam.. it shows up in the mail a few days later.
- danw 19y ago
  Perfect, bringing the impulse of real world transaction to ecommerce. Could even do it with a normal upc barcode instead of Qr/semacode. Imagine being to do that with a music CD and the songs automagically start downloading to your phone (possible iPhone app?)
  - far33d 19y ago
    That would be very cool... I've read that scanning regular barcodes with a cameraphone is difficult, but I believe there are some people making headway with it. If it were music, I'd rather just make a call to a number, have it listen to whatever song is in the background, and then download it for me. Fred Wilson has talked about txt based commerce a bit as well - http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2008/01/texting-in-purc.html http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2008/01/texting-in-purc.html
    - danw 19y ago
      I think you can do the phone call music purchasing in the UK with Shazam (2580)