QuickMark Now Available for iPhone, Nokia 5800XM, And More

QuickMark has made several new releases lately, first being its new QuickMark v3.8. Which adds the following new capabilities:

1) 1D barcode support (EAN 8/13, Code 39, Code 128)
2) Redierct Settings (This is most useful when used in conjunction with 1D barcodes)
3) QuickMark API (for developers interested in commercial use)

In terms of device support, QuickMark has increased its support for Symbian S60 phones by extending support to Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP2 and Symbian S60 5th Edition (such as Nokia 5800 XpressMusic) devices.

Last but not least, QuickMark is now available on the iTunes App Store. QuickMark is not the first mobile barcode reader for the iPhone but is unique as it allows for automatic scanning (no more taking snapshots and waiting for decode) and support multiple 1D and 2D barcode formats.

QR Codes In JiouFen

Jiou Fen, a popular tourist spot in Taiwan seem to have quite a few of the shops and restaurants nearby implement QR Codes. Previously I have only noticed the barcodes on their website, but visitors seem to be taking notice of the strange looking symbols and someone has posted an actual sighting on his blog. The QR Code appears quite large, perhaps containing a lengthy text intro of some sort, which makes one wonder why not just print the text itself? Of course, it is possible that they are using the codes for other marketing purposes as well.

Heinenken Meets QR Code (Taiwan)

Heinenken's official Taiwanese website now sports QR Codes for its marketing events. The QR Codes are of vCard format (LBS specification as defined in OMIA Barcode Standard 3.2) and contain geo-coordinates. This is quite useful for users that get lazy or sloppy in jotting down destination addresses. For instance, one can use QuickMark to scan the barcode, and either choose to save the information or fire up a navigation client (e.g. Google Maps Mobile or Garmin Mobile XT) to display the destination on a mobile map. Screenshots below:

QR On Book Backcover Gives Extra Info

A QR Code is spotted on the back cover of a new book titled Buying Good Products by Alice Ju (link). The book is about how to pick/buy healthy food products. The QR Code is a link to a webpage that contains a short video by the author sharing more information on the topic.

More Photos of QR Codes on Rice Packaging

A couple more photos of QR Codes spotted on food products:

Also noticed is that some 2D barcodes seem to be damaged to the point that recognition is no longer possible.

QR Code Ad (A Poor Example)

Yet another full page newspaper ad (from last month actually, 6/15/08 on United Daily News) from GigaHouse that uses QR Codes for real estate advertisements. This time, there are a whopping 64 QR Codes to be found on the page. However the barcodes' usability has not yet been improved, they are still dense and consist of small module size (due to the long URLs that they encode). End users equipped with auto-focus camera phones such as the HTC Touch Diamond or Asus P750 might have a chance of decoding those barcdoes, but even then they will be disappointed because the target website are mostly not configured properly for mobile phones This is probably one of the most frustating things a QR Code can do to an eager user because it means that one could have potentially wasted their time & effort (in scanning the code), and money (for mobile data rates) on a completely useless piece of information. It is probably still a learning process for advertisers wanting to incorporate 2D barcodes into their marketing materials because they might be unfamiliar with the technology's limitations and capabilities. Personally, I think that 64 barcodes on a page is a little too much. I think that mobile barcodes work best when used sparingly, because it is easier to catch the reader's eyes and prompt actions based on their curiousity. 64 barcodes? Might be a bit too scary for some people.