Semacode - Hyperlinks For The Real World

An anonymous reader submits "Semacode is a fascinating concept - it involves encoding a standard network/web URL in visual form (essentially a 2D bar code) that can be displayed in the real world for people to 'read' with semacode-enabled connected devices. The reference platform for now is the Symbian/Series 60 phone platform - specifically, the Nokia 3650 . Semacode also works with the Nokia 6600 and 7650 camera phones."

Comments

Huh?

[chris_eineke]

What's the problem with scribbling "www.sashdot.org" on a sheet of paper? This gets my vote for the 2004 Useless Technology Award.

Re:Huh?

[Tony Hoyle]

Not really, you have:

1. (old system). Read text.
2. (new system). Fish phone out of pocket. Switch it on (of not already on. Possibly pull battery out if crashed). Take photograph. Stand around scrolling through symbian menus until you find the 'decode photograph' app. Launch app. App doesn't recognise photograph. Shit. Take another photograph. Repeat.

Fascinating concept...

[efatapo]

Yeah...scanning a bar code for a website is a great idea. Wish I would have thought of that.

1. Steal someone's unsuccessful idea
2. ???
3. Profit?

Probably not...

Re:CueCat

[Agent Green]

No...this actually has potential NOT to suck, especailly since it's a URL encoded in a 2D, non-proprietary format. It's also a plus that it's not locked up in some bullshit like the CueCat.

I'm curious just how large of a URL it can encode though...but I think this is pretty cool, and could end up being one of the killer apps for camera phones. It's about time something put that technology to good use.

That, and it's a bitch keying in a long-ass URL on a phone keypad. :)

I don't get this...

[JohnsonWax]

Why erect non-human readable signs where they get in the way? What are the benefits of me being able to see this large thing other than to know something is there?

And I know I'll be shouted down for this, but isn't this a much better application for something like RFID? (technical issues, notwithstanding) What's wrong with having this information in the airwaves and some kind of small indicator that a signal is being transmitted?

Re:I don't get this...

[Eponymous Cowboy]

Why erect non-human readable signs where they get in the way? What are the benefits of me being able to see this large thing other than to know something is there?

There are lots of reasons. For example, a bus stop might have a timetable with one of these symbols next to each entry. You'd just hold your phone up to the one you want to check, and it would connect to the proper web page and show you where that bus is on its route and how long until it reaches your location. Instantly. No special buttons to press or codes to enter, and with no expensive hardware needing to be installed at the bus stop.

The idea is that you can use the static, printed data (the barcode) to retrieve dynamic data (the bus location and how long until its arrival)--not just to retrieve more static data. Static data would still be printed, human readable as always, on the sign in the first place.

And, remember, web pages can be interactive, too; you can send information back to the company or organization whose barcode you just scanned through forms on the web page. So you could quickly order a product or service directly to your location.

...isn't this a much better application for something like RFID?

It really comes down to one word: Cost. Ink on paper is essentially free. If you're printing a sign anyway, there's no additional cost to include a barcode. Yes, RFID is cheap, but ink is cheaper.

Re:I don't get this...

[MoonBuggy]

Many phones already have cameras, updating them in order to read a semacode from a picture they just took is a software upgrade. No phones that I know of come with RFID recievers, you would need a hardware replacement to use this meaning it would be even less likely to take off than semacode which is compatible without buying a new and expensive phone.

Re:Didn't radioshack do the same thing?

[slashrogue]

I'll take a wild guess that you didn't RTFA. Anyone can create the semacode thing that the phones read in. So, theoretically, you could put in the URL of a website like verizonwirelesseatspoop.com, make a semacode for it, then plaster that image all over the outside of your local Verizon Wireless outlet. Or you could put the URL for your blog in and plaster stuff outside your aparment, or whatever. Want to sell stuff? When you tack your ad on the corkboard at your local grocery store, you can include one of these semacode things on your print out to direct people to your website (or eBay page, whatever). And that's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there's plenty of much more interesting things that could be done.

Useless Marketing

[Fiz Ocelot]

Ok so if I understand the concept correctly: If I have a phone with this ability, it can bring up a web page via wireless connection. Maybe some info about the item, or an advertisement.Great...

What's wrong with just posting information on packages, as it is now? And why should I waste my money, to use my phone to view an extra useless ad?

And unless this all works together "very" quickly (not more than 10 seconds), nobody will even bother. I know I certainly won't.

Can anyone think of anything this can be used for, which can not be accomplished by simply posting the information on a sign, packaging, or normal paper ad? (which are free to use, unlike the phone)

Imagine...

[ParadoxicalPostulate]

Well, the one thing that jumps out in my mind is this.

Imagine you are in a large building on a college campus. You are walking down the hall, and pass by a classroom. The room number is marked in black letters on a plaque, 246. Under the room number is a semacode.

You take out your cellphone, and take a snapshot (read: scan) the semacode. Your cellphone loads up the appropriate URL, giving you information about the room.

Through the website, you find out what the room is used for, who the technicians / professors are using the room, what the class schedule for the room is, when the professor has open office hours, who is responsible for maintenance of the room, what the phone extension in the room is, etc. And you get a bunch of links to follow from there.

All of that information available in an instant.

Of course, there is the issue of the ubiquity of this type of technology, but if it does become very popular, this is a very real accomplishment.

Employ the same type of situation in a museum display, perhaps or art or rocks.

I think it has a pretty amazing potential, but only if it's adopted widescale. If not, then its just one of those cool things that you brag about to your friends, and after that nobody cares.

Re:Imagine...

[BrotherPope]

You take out your cellphone, and take a snapshot (read: scan) the semacode. Your cellphone loads up the appropriate URL, giving you information about the room.

Through the website, you find out what the room is used for, who the technicians / professors are using the room, what the class schedule for the room is, when the professor has open office hours, who is responsible for maintenance of the room, what the phone extension in the room is, etc. And you get a bunch of links to follow from there.

It'll never happen -- at least, not because of this technology. Going from cameraphone snapshot to URL is not the tricky part. It's *trivial* and if it isn't today, it will be very very soon.

The real money spinner is finding a way to make available all of the information you want 'in an instant' and make the management costs effectively zero. Anything more expensive than zero is too much for a classroom. Hell, the problem of double-booking classrooms (and other rooms) is still not solved in a ubiquitous manner and it's a very simple and well understood scheduling problem.

What makes you think this quirky technology is going to be the gateway that brings a universe of information to your fingertips, when that information is not yet gathered? Where's the percentage in giving away information it costs serious money to gather? Unless you barcode 10% or more of the relevant objects in the area, why would I even bother investing in the tech (on the user or infrastructure side)?

Museums and other public attractions with electronic talking guides or some other location based technowidget usually charge a couple bucks for the use of the widget. How are you going to charge a cell phone user for the equipment they already hold in their hand? And without the income stream, how are you going to keep the location based nuggets of information relevant? You're not. It's a waste of time and money unless the cost of gathering, managing, and presenting that information is effectively zero.

It really is just the CueCat rehashed. Move along.

Why is this a big deal?

[CatGrep]

I really can't see how this is revolutionary.
As has been mentioned this bears some resemblance to the failed CueCat thingy. Also, why would I want to post these 2D barcodes all over the place?

Why not use BlueTooth for this? You get close to a 'beackon' and a little icon appears on your phone, if you choose to click the icon it takes you to the desired URL.

Seems pretty stupid to me

[beavis88]

http://www.tinyurl.com/foobar/ -- does a barcode *really* make this easier?

Re:Seems pretty stupid to me

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, considering that on some phones you have to press a key MULTIPLE TIMES to cycle thru letters, numbers and/or symbol characters to key in your data (a url or anything else).

This might not be the Next Big Thing(tm), but I can see where it might have uses:

outside of a theater to instantly buy tickets ONLINE instead of standing IN LINE,

outside of a restaraunt with a long line, so you can preorder so that when you get seated, you're food's nearly ready as opposed to waiting for 30 minutes,

outside of a bookstore to get the Top Seller list while you wait on your friends to show up,

or in a elevator, to do something like read a url or something to forget that awkward silence thing.

It's like everything else. Some people will find a use for it, and others will hate it.

Simplicity

[ddewey]

Why not use BlueTooth for this? You get close to a 'beackon' and a little icon appears on your phone, if you choose to click the icon it takes you to the desired URL.

The advantage of this is that it's simple and cheap. Anyone can print out a code and stick it anywhere they want. Of course that will lead to problems too; you can bet scummy advertisers will be making stickers out of these this and plastering them on everything.

Re:Real world uses

[danharan]

True, that is trivial. However this might be much faster than calling a human, and would allow taxi companies to save a fair bit of money. This is also convenient if you are not fluent, or not sure exactly where you are, or how to describe it.

A properly configured system could also return a page telling you how long a taxi is expected to take to get there.

spammers

[Barbarian]

Imagine the new 2-d barcode spam. Unscrupulous persons will sneak around and replace these barcodes with barcodes linking to pay-per-view porn sites and penis enlargement products.

Slashdot editors are easily amused

[bratmobile]

If this is considered "fascinating" or "new", then this just tells us that the Slashdot editors / submitters are easily amused, and/or have really short memories.

This was a crappy idea 5 years ago, when I first heard about it. I don't see how it could have improved since then.

Re:Real world uses

[Tony Hoyle]

Don't see how it can be faster.

Currently I fire up the phone, select 'taxi', it gives me the number of the nearest one and optionally dials it (it knows where I am, which is how it knows where the nearest taxi/bank/pub/etc. is... heck, you can buy services that track people down via mobile phone now - parents buy it to keep track of their children).

However every taxi I've ever called wants to know my *destination* not just my current location (this is for tracking, and I believe it may also be a legal requirement). There is no way this system can handle that (unless you're proposing having a barcode for every destination in a city).

Solution Looking For A Problem... Again

[nfotxn]

See we can encode urls and network addresses in something we call "text". Text can be written and deciphered by the naked human eye. The majority of human beings are capable of literacy with the correct training. Although some require peripheral devices such as corrective lenses or permanent solutions such as laser surgery.

If you're to take a technologically oriented solution to having to type a url why not just make signage use bluetooth or some such wireless technology to pass the url to these devices?This is just silly Wired magazine style gadgetiering technofetishism to my eyes. Bo-ring!

Re:CueCat

[danila]

Isn't it better to just use a computer-legible font for the URLs? If designed with both human and computer legibility in mind it can provide 100% accuracy when read by the phone and not require a lot of CPU power. The presence of the URL can be indicated either by the standard http:// prefix or by a special icon, by the address itself will be written in plain text. This is thousands of times more compatible and useful.