The internet of things

I heard about an interesting project on a recent science show podcast.  Its a project between several UK universities and based on open source software and existing technologies that enables things (objects) to become know and have their own presence on the internet. At the simplest level each object gets an entry in the the internet of things, a website specifically created for this project, and gets issues its own QR code. A human (eg you) has to do this. There are also phones app for the iphone and android that make your phone into one of these QR tags readers. So when you happen upon one of these tagged objects you can scan it and read about out it, leave comments or even like it. Then depending on how its entry is configure it might tweet that you a have visited, share your comment or update its facebook status. Suddenly things can have their own form of memory and history in our cyberworld. Sound far fetched? No its very real and very simple.

more on hardlinking

 

The technology of QRcodes is being hyped for advertising and marketing , (and making money for telstra). Yet it has wide application, there is a Mobile Barcode Add On for firefox, that lets you get a QRcode on the fly on your screen from any website you visit. Also google has a neat QR code generator, part of google chart api, that lets a developer generate the code from within the HTML on a webpage. There are also plenty of standalone applets such as barshow. The use of the codes are definitely not limited to the web. Infact it is better if they are on physical objects, not just billboard. They can even be merged with photos and still work (as above).

You don't even have to use them for connection to a web, they could just be a copyright notice that you embedded in your photos as a graphic watermark. You might need to experiment with this because the code will need to be large enough to be readable, but small enough to not be obtrusive.

If japan is anything to go on the biggest applications might be for self promotion, of blogs and as a trendy but very personnel fashion statement. There are a any number of free web sites that can help you create your own codes. My favourite, at the moment, is Nokia (by default it creates a datamatrix code, so you will need to change the code to QR code towards the bottom on the leftside of the screen). Here a few of the better ones Nigma, Kaywa(has options for generating different sized codes), Lunaqr (which includes Vcards), Viooli (which can generates coloured codes), Moji-Q (really neat coloured codes as gif image with a translucent background), Winksite,  Snapmaze (has the added bonus of being able to automatically generate your code on a custom t-shirt from zazzle), neoreader (which can reader a variety of codes, but the site only generate datamatrix codes) and finally billed as the cutest generator on the net xns.co.js which uses and army of little "code bots" to build the code while you watch (instructions are in Japanese but I'm sure you can work it out)

QRious'r & QRious'r

I am finding all the hype by telstra about "their" QRious codes just a bit hard to stomach. I like the idea of these QR codes and have posted about them last year. Despite what telecom implies they are very late adopters of the technology, not creators of it. You don't even have to buy a new phone (or sign up for an outrageous contract). Ok these new 3G phones will have QR reader built in, but if your phone has a camera and web access you probably are ready to go. You just need to download some software. If you are with Telstra, and are happy with them  you can type in the tediously long www.mobius.telstra.com.au on your phone's web browser and if your phone model fits there current limitations, it will be delivered to your phone. Alternative there are free sites that provide generic downloadable readers, like i-nigma & Kaywa. [Also Quickmark, see deans collin's comments on this blog, he obviously has an interest in marketing qr codes.]

One final item you should consider is reviewing/including a mobile data plan onto your phone to avoid the outrageously high charge that most service providers charge on adhoc data usage, because the websites ,the QR codes connect you to, might put a heavy dataload onto your phone (eg downloading movie previews etc.)

The world of physical hyperlinks, or hardlinking, could totally reform how you use your phone and the web.

Thanks also to wolfcat, a twitter friend, for the heads up on this issue

What the heck is this?

It is a QR Code, a type of two dimensional bar code, which I heard described as a cross between a chess board and a crossword. on a recent BBC digital planet podcast. The really great thing about them, and why I bothered to blog about them, is that most new mobile phones, well the ones with cameras and web access, can probably already scan them and use them for instance connect to a web address.

Thats exactly what this one does, it is the URL (web address) of this blog, just point your cameraphone at the image, on the screen! and take a picture. The next step depends on your phone, (HINT: you may need to read its instructions), activate the QR CODE READER option and you will get taken to your phone's web browser and directly to this very blog site! On your phone, no difficult thumb and finger typing required!

If your phone doesn't have a QR Reader built in (most phones less that 2 years old will have it), but a camera you can download the free KAYWA Reader into your phone.

If you want to create QR Codes of your own, snapmaze is a simple on-line application. Not only web URLs can be encoded, simple text, addresses and contact details, the applications are pretty endless. The QR stands for quick response, and the process of linking directly to the web on your phone is now very popular in japan and has become know as hardlinking, or physical world hyperlinks.