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Microsoft Finds a Home For Barcode

MicroBarcode writes in about the color barcode technology that Microsoft developed but shelved two years back because nobody adopted it. The technology promised a way to link packaging to Web sites — and once cell phone cameras get good enough, Microsoft hoped lots of people would use it. It seems the technology has finally found a home: the ISAN International Agency has inked a deal with Microsoft. The color barcodes, consisting of red, green, yellow, and black triangles, will appear on XBox 360 games and other products beginning later this year.

8 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. I've seen this before.... by waterford0069 · · Score: 5, Funny

    It was called the "CueCat".

  2. One useful idea by Viraptor · · Score: 5, Funny

    Only place where I see this applicable is: - take picture of a movie box in shop - upload tag to torrent search site - download results - profit! No need for ... even.

    1. Re:One useful idea by Viraptor · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh yeah...
      - check preview before posting
      - ...
      - profit

  3. Bill Gates and by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Microsoft may have invented the Internet and the computer, but sometimes they do some really stupid shit.

    1. Re:Bill Gates and by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I hope you were just being sarcastic...

      Well Duh! Obviously I know they couldn't really have invented the computer. They must have copied it off of Apple.
  4. Mark of the Beast, patent pending by Dachannien · · Score: 3, Funny

    Sure, we all say Bill Gates is the Antichrist, but I never thought it was true until now!

  5. MS color-code vs monochrome 2-d barcode by luckystuff · · Score: 2, Funny

    I for one hope they don't adopt MS's color-coded triangles. I don't care how much more data it can encode. It'll still be worthless to me since those of us that are color-blind can't read it.

  6. Another Potential Exploit... by G4from128k · · Score: 2, Funny

    1. Create picture with a barcode URL to a malware site
    2. Post on flickr, youtube, et al
    3. Wait for someone wearing glasses to visit the image
    4. Let MS's automagical software see the barcode in the reflection in the user's glasses via the PC's
    5. .........
    6. Profit.

    This is the visual equivalent of the exploit that uses an audiofile to tell the voice recognition software to do things.

    --
    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.