Snap Happy

Another example of upping the "physical world connection" ante from the 2D barcode players. Magnet Harlequin, a UK marketing/technology company, is using image recognition technology called Snap Happy to analyze images sent in by users so a suitable response can be sent back to the user. This is already in action as it was used to promote the latest Mr. Bean movie in the UK earlier this year. Users snap a pic of the movie poster with their mobile and send it via MMS. They then get directed to some free Mr. Bean content. Very nice. Indeed this is one small step to "creating an internet of physical things". This appears to be just what Mobot is doing.
While I do think this is very cool and has tons of applications, I do not think this will displace barcodes any time soon. At least not barcodes that can store information (and not just a reference to information on a server somewhere). Server-side image recognition is an interesting call-to-action, but client-side decoding is faster and more practical in less sensational, everyday cases.

Microsoft’s New Multicolor Bar Code Technology

I guess it was just a matter of time. Microsoft has announced High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB), a new barcode technology that uses colors and patterns (and looks a little like Colorzip). Visual appeal seems to be the main draw here, as the press release focuses on the asthetic value and small, unobtrusive size. I think it fits in nicely with the pinata motif in the press photo, but so many colors would definitely clash with more conservative packaging. I actially think that a monochrome QR code would look better, even if it was a bit larger than the HCCB code.

The new code offers several advantages over existing black-and-white bar codes most people are accustomed to seeing on product packages, enabling new consumer experiences, more visual appeal where aesthetics are important and the ability to incorporate advanced security features.

I did not see any details about data capacity, though it claims to　"enable the inclusion of more data in the code itself". Of course, it wouldn't be a Microsoft technology if it didn't come with DRM:

New security features can also be incorporated into Microsoft’s multicolor bar code. DatatraceDNA plans to provide technology for anti-counterfeiting security protection features through nanotechnology that is invisibly embedded within the material and ink of the Microsoft bar code and product packaging.

Wow, so much for a cheap 'n easy marketing tool. I wonder if it will work without the nanotech.

Mobile Barcodes and Marketing in China

China Economic Review has a story about how mobile barcodes and related technology are being used for mobile marketing in China. sigh... I really need to start talking about something besides dot-boxes...... Anyway, the article mentions three companies in China that are pushing their own 2D-code technology.

• Gmedia: Datamatrix-looking code
  
• MyClick: image recognition, or at least image frame recognition
  
• Inspiry: appear to be selling encoders/decoders for various barcode formats

Once again there is a little hype here.

SMS advertising is a 'push' technology, leaving consumers at the mercy of advertisers. But with barcodes, the consumer chooses whether or not to click.

Now why is SMS advertising only a push technology? There are plenty of SMS-pull advertisements in print, radio, television and online. You know, "Text 'BUSH' to 4231 for your free 'Dubya' ringback tone!". You decide whether or not to text. I think most people can send an SMS faster than they can find and open their code reader and snap a good shot of a QR-code. At least the code-scanner does not have to wait for an SMS response (though some barcode formats require an active internet connection to work).

I am really interested in seeing how fast and reliably arbitrary image recognition solutions like Mobot and MyClick develop this year. They would certainly be "QR-Code Killers" in the mobile marketing world.

Mobile bar-codes are great marketing tools, but I think it will take some work to wean people in the GSM/GPRS world off SMS texting. The referenced article also mentions that poor connection speed will slow the adoption of QR codes. Perhaps, but they can still be used to deliver virtually anything an SMS can (actually, most 2D barcode formats can store much more than 160 characters). I suppose outside of Japan and Korea 2D barcodes are considered new technology, and will be used to promote more advanced campaigns rather than as a new approach to the same old.

SNS in Japan

Wireless Watch Japan has a story on Disney's Wonder Days, the latest SNS on the Japanese mobile scene. There is a nice video clip showing the user experience and features available on Wonder Days and Mobage-Town. Worth a look if you are interested in seeing whats brewing in the social networking pot over here.

KDDI Mobile - A Japanese MVNO in the US

This seems to have surprised a lot of people based on the ML chatter and blog static around right now. KDDI, Japan's #2 carrier behind DoCoMo, will launch an MVNO on Sprint's network in the US branded as KDDI Mobile. Now maybe they will start providing more global handsets in Japan besides the low-end Sanyo A5514SA. I think this shows that the MVNO movement has gotten serious and the US mobile market still holds opportunities.