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Hyperlinks In The Meat World

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the i-wanna-click-on-my-eye-ball dept.

Once&FutureRocketman writes "The New York Times has this article (no login required) about a technology that allows publishers of paper media to embed hyperlinks directly in the article in machine-readable format. The system is a little clumsy at this point, but the intent is clear: a seamless integration of the Internet and Real Life."

13 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Virus alert! - don't blame the users by MattXVI · · Score: 3
    Are you sure that just previewing it causes it to execute? I read the opposite on arstechnica this evening. They usually have the deep scoop on things.

    "When I'm singing a ballad and a pair of underwear lands on my head, I hate that. It really kills the mood."

    --
    When I'm singing a ballad and a pair of underwear lands on my head, I hate that. It really kills the mood.
    -Tom Jones
  2. Another article about this: by G27+Radio · · Score: 3

    For anyone that's interested there's another article about this on Wired. I found it on kuro5hin 3 days ago. I just stopped by there the for first time a couple days ago--very cool site for tech news junkies.

    I rarely go to web sites I read about in print or see on TV because most of the time they don't point you directly to the content you want. I always pictured a cheap pen reader hooked to a USB port a good method of getting the URL from paper to the computer. If a web cam can do it that's great, but it will have to be fairly reliable. This technology will be great for business cards too. Especially if you can encode all the printed data on a business card into the barcode.

    numb

  3. Silly Kids! Trix is for Purple Dinosaurs! by jd · · Score: 3
    It seems like this is:

    (a) archaic (I remember barcode programs from the days of Commodore & Vegetable Games)

    (b) prone to errors (even barcodes on TV guides are little more than a cute gimic) and

    (c) entirely the wrong way round.

    What would be better, then? What about thin plastic newspapers, using that fluid LCD technology that got posted a while back?

    Instead of scanning in the URL, you simply press the newspaper in at that point, and it changes to show the contents of that site.

    I don't see the problem with that - it'd be cheaper than printing a whole load of newspapers, whilst still giving the "authentic" newspaper L&F. It would also allow newspapers to include breaking stories WITHOUT having to stop the presses.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  4. Wireless PalmPilots! by mOdQuArK! · · Score: 3

    Hey, this would fit perfectly if you integrated a bar code scanner into a wireless PalmPilot - a quick scan of the newspaper (or whatever), and then the mini-web page pops up on your PalmPilot for further mastication.

  5. Virus alert! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5
    May 4th, 2001-For all of you who bought today's copy of the NYT, do not read page 25! A malicious "I Love you" commercial has integrated a trojan-like barcode URL which, as soon as your wearable computer scans and follows it (which most such devices running under Windows CE nowadays automatically do), will destroy all your files and send the people in your address-book a love letter asking them to themselves purchase a copy the NYT and read page 25!

    Details at eleven...

  6. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  7. Great... by cronio · · Score: 3

    ...now we are going to see newspapers that look like this.




    One Microsoft Way

    --


    My plan is to pimp before they realize I'm a jackass. Hit 'em hard and fast.
  8. Special NYTimes Hack: by GeekLife.com · · Score: 3

    Replace "partners" with "www" in the URL to get the special Login Required version:

    Like so.


    -----

  9. Re:what happens when the "Smudges" get smeared? by joe_wilson · · Score: 3

    The "barcodes" in this case are not barcodes, per se, but a special 2-D pattern that has buit in error correction. Obviously, at a certain point it can't recover, but it isn't as sensitive to crisp printing as you would imagine.

  10. Consequences of this technology? by Guppy · · Score: 4

    In other news today, "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince" announced his intention to change his name to "|| || | || || | || || ||", as part of a marketing deal with online CD retailers, which will allow readers to buy || || | || || | || || ||'s records simply by scanning in his name.

    Said one recording industry spokesman, "We look applaud Mr. || || | || || | || || ||'s move to make it easier for consumers to purchase his CDs". Sources claim that such industry pressure is behind the recent name changes of such young stars as Brittany Spears and Christina Aguilera to "|| | || || || || || | ||" and "|| || || | || | ||| | ||". Representatives for Ms. || | || || || || || | || denied the claims, while Ms. || || || | || | ||| | || was unavailable for comment.

  11. Other uses of this technology? by citizenc · · Score: 5

    Reading the article, I a number of thoughts crossed my mind, most of them revolving around possible additional uses of the technology indicated:

    * Allergy information on food -- I have allergies to several foods, many of which are life threatening. However, many of them are quantity based -- I can eat a small amount without getting sick, etc. I'd like to see a small handreader that could read a barcode similar to the above, and would instantly display exactly HOW MUCH of each ingrediant there is.

    * Movies - Link me instantly to several online reviews, baby!

    * Games - One swipe of the barcode, and my PDA will tell me what the latest version is, patches that are available, all retrieved online as I stand waiting in line at Future Shop, purchase in hand.

    * Medical Information - RE: Allergies, (Above) I also wear a Medical Alert bracelet -- it lists all my allergies on it. What I would like to see is also have a little link that somebody could use to get emergency treatment information on the fly.

    Does anybody else have any ideas?

    .- CitizenC (User Info)

  12. Finally, a use for the Cauzin Softstrip reader! by imac.usr · · Score: 3
    eBay, here I come!

    Ahhh, yes, the Softstrip. MacUser's 1986 Eddy Award winner for Most Innovative Concept. No, seriously (check near the bottom of the page)

    --
    I use Macs for work, Linux for education, and Windows for cardplaying.
  13. Another thing that bothers me.... by Randy+Rathbun · · Score: 4

    All this stuff requires software to decode the barcodes. Has anyone considered what could be done with this?

    Each hyperlink could very easily be traced back to a person. For example, the article mentions that Wired is thinking of using this system. Well, Wired wants (or wanted, I don't know for sure now because I dropped my subscription a long time ago) more money for a subscription for a business than from an individual because more people would be reading it.

    So, along with the URL you imbed in this barcode, you also imbed a unique ID. Who's gonna know, right? Well, the software is gonna be closed source, I am sure, so who would know. Anyway, the software sees this and says "UID 4738925867 wants to go to slashdot.org from piece of software 583735". Well, I give my copy of Wired to my dad to read, he wants to go to the same url.

    "UID 4738925867 wants to go to slashdot.org from piece of software 483902". A few days later I go to my mailbox and there is a bill in there from Wired magazine wanting me to now pay the business rate for a subscription.

    Maybe I am just being a bit paranoid here, but after seeing the doubleclick thing, the stupid looking webpage cursor that tracks you thing, the TiVo thing, etc., I see no other reason for these "Great Convienences" that are being promised to us other than for marketers and ad execs to get their mits on yet more information about us.