I am the proud owner of a new Acer Liquid E smartphone that runs Android 2.1. So far, two weeks in, I am absolutely in love with it. It’s black, sleek and so full of gadgety stuff that I can hardly stand it! Android is incredible, but that’s not what this entry is about. What’s grabbed my attention at the top of the app list is Scanlife, a 2D bar code program.
2D bar codes, once scanned, can provide anything from information about a product to a link to a web site or video. From what I’ve seen so far, anything seems to be possible. Currently I’m using it to download apps from my computer screen to my phone with one simple scan. The phone’s camera is used as the optics and the information is run through the Scanlife program running on the phone. The program interprets the information imbedded in the bar code and instructs you on what to do – open a browser, start a video or it just presents information.
I see unlimited use for these bar codes. A salesman could put one on his business card, providing a link to his company’s website or to a video promoting a product. A bar code on a prescription bottle could provide additional information regarding the drug your doctor has prescribed. An advertiser in a magazine could provide a list of stores in your area that carry their product. A 2D bar code could be used on an ID tag or security pass to verify someones identity. If printed like postage stamps and stuck on, they could be changed daily. And why not stick one on a child’s clothing, to be scanned by police if he becomes lost? Product user manuals could be accessed by scanning a bar code. Every single phone with a camera and a data plan or wi-fi is capable of handling this newest “gadget”.
I look forward to seeing more 2D bar codes, I see this a no brainer for companies to get their information out there. If I had anything important to link to, I have a bar code on this blog.
