The Scannable World, Part 2: Scanning Your Web Printouts
This is the second post in a multi-part series about integrating the internet with the real world.
In "The Scannable World: Mobile Phones As Barcode Scanners," we introduced the concept of using your phone to scan barcoded objects in the real world. We also touched on some of the history surrounding this technology. One of the issues with barcoded ads today is where you find them: newspapers, arguably a dying medium whose subscriber base isn't necessarily composed of cutting-edge early adopters. So how can barcodes make their way to the people who actually use the web and other modern technologies? One company thinks they have the answer.
Enter Neomedia
Neomedia is ready for the barcode trend to take off. They've been around for a decade and have had the technology for reading barcodes with mobile phones in place for years. Now, thanks to the ubiquity of modern mobile phones, they are poised for success if this trend ever takes off. Their barcode scanning software lets you access mobile web content by scanning ads from print, packaging, billboards, and even broadcast media.
The Printed Out Web
No matter how tech savvy you are, there are still times when you simply must print out something from the web. Driving directions are a great example. Now imagine that your printout looked something like this (see below) - directions at the top with a scannable ad for a hotel at the bottom of the page:
That printout isn't a prototype, but a real ad available today from RandMcNally.com. The ad is made possible through NeoMedia's partnership with Format Dynamics, a company that works with web publishers and advertisers to help transform web pages into readable printouts which can then be monetized with ads. The company's "Clean Print" technology is a real-time dynamic reformatting engine that harvests a page's content and then produces a printed page in a coherent format without odd line breaks, cut off images, etc. Clean Print will also work no matter how the end user decides to print - whether "Ctrl + P" is pressed or a print button is used, the results are the same.
Any site using Clean Print technology can now include barcoded ads alongside their content. This is great for driving directions, but also for articles that tend to be printed out and shared, such as those from online news sites. (Don't believe it? Just look at the uproar over the RWW print button, for example). Below is an example of what that looks like. The article is from The Orange County Register's site and the ad is for Crocs footwear.
Since the partnership between NeoMedia and Format Dynamics is still brand new, there aren't many other examples just yet. But Format Dynamics is already serving ads and reformatting the printed web pages of approximately 80 web publishers, including Rand McNally, CareerBuilder, the San Jose Mercury News, the Denver Post, the Houston Chronicle, and a few others. In time, NeoMedia will extend their barcode offering to more of these clients.
How To Scan: NeoMedia's NeoReader
NeoReader is the barcode scanning software. It's not a separate piece of hardware, but software that runs on your phone. NeoReader currently works on iPhone, Java, Symbian, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile. The only missing platform is Android, but the company plans to include that at a later time. Even without Android, the company has managed to cover most of the smartphone market as well as many of today's standard phones via their Java offering. (You can see a full manufacturer's list here).
To download the application, just go to get.neoreader.com from your handset's web browser and follow the instructions. If your handset is not supported, you can still access the NeoReader program. Just bookmark the URL get.neoreader.com/go. This web page will let you enter keywords and barcodes in order to access the same content available to users of the mobile application. iPhone users can simply download the NeoReader application from the iTunes App Store.
Android has been announced but it isn't actually out yet, so we can't compare NeoReader to Android's barcode scanning apps like CompareEverywhere or GoCart. On the iPhone, though, NeoReader is not the only barcode reading app currently available - there are several to choose from. In function and feature set, the difference between most of those apps and NeoReader is minimal. Like many of those other iPhone apps, NeoReader also lets you build your own barcode if you so desire. You can create a barcode for any URL just by going to http://www.neoreader.com/code.html and entering in the URL you want to convert.
Make a Barcode:
The real difference between NeoReader simply comes down to the fact that NeoMedia is a business that's trying to make barcode scanning a reality...it's not an app put out by an independent developer. NeoReader already has a handful of sites where it can be used and over the coming weeks they will be able to add to their list as their partnership with Format Dynamics deepens.
Is This The Answer?
With the rising popularity of camera phones, smartphones, and better web browsers for surfing the "real" internet at higher 3G speeds, there's an improved chance for a technology like barcoded ads to take off. However, for it to really become truly successful a lot of advertisers and big-name companies will have to get on board and consistently offer barcoded ads for an extended period of time - not just try it once and then give up, claiming them a failure. In today's uncertain economy, the number of advertisers willing to take this chance may be low.
NeoMedia's partnership with Format Dynamics means they are able to offer a good selection of web sites where you can find the technology in use. That's a good start at least, but ultimately the technology will come down to consumers' willingness to interact with the real world in this virtual manner. The expectation behind this whole barcoded ad platform is that people will see the advertisement and then take an extra step to learn more about the product or service. Is that even how today's consumers interact with ads? In our media-saturated culture, most consumers run from ads, not the other way around.
Will adding barcodes make viewing ads a more engaging experience or will consumers continue to ignore ads like they do today? That's a hard question to answer with a technology so new and untested, but it's possible that, if done well, barcode scanning could work. The trick may be to provide an added value to the customer who takes the time to scan. That added value could be a discount, a free gift with purchase, or something else of a compelling nature to the potential customer. That could make barcode scanning the coupon clipping of the 21st century...and that might actually work. Scan to save. We would do it. Would you?
See also: The Scannable World, Part 1: Mobile Phones As Barcode Scanners
The Scannable World, Part 3: Barcode Scanning In The Real World
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Another application may be to use the software as a way send a link from computer to phone. With long complicated url's, sometimes it's difficult to get it from the phone to the computer. My method now is to send it via email to my phone. This may be a simpler solution if the phone can simply take a picture of the barcode on the computer screen and go directly to the site.
no way people (who I know) will use a special (other, non-standard) software to go to an ad-website....
If you're really interested in, its just more usual to type in the url... and maybe not even slower...
thats it. Japanese are different. the western will not adopt any time soon.
Hi,
I think the driving force to acceptance will be as usual a 'killer app' that makes people want to try the technology.
Something that will somehow make peoples life easier in some way.
Then they will 'get it' but they will only use it if they have some motivation.
All the best - Dave
This is kind of going in the reverse direction. Wouldn't creating an app that can just read plain text be better? Bar code readers are nothing special or new in my opinion.
NeoMedia also just completed a successful mobile code reading trial with AT&T and Papa John's Pizza using the NeoReader and Data Matrix codes.
http://streetstylz.blogspot.com/2008/09/at-papa-johns-team-up-with-neomedia.html
:)
@streetstylz Thanks for the spam.
RWW readers should also know that NeoMedia is a patent troll attempting to hinder innovation in this space. Fortunately, the EFF put the smack down:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/07/u-s-patent-office-rejects-all-ninety-five-neomedia
@ Jeff Burton
Regarding NeoMedia's patent (#6,199,048) currently under review by the USPTO, this was a "non-final" rejection.
http://i35.tinypic.com/nnjnz5.png
NeoMedia's patent lawyer has submitted his formal response to the USPTO. The USPTO now has 60 days to make their final ruling on the patent.
PS: GFY
I dont know if i'd call Neomedia a patent troll, but yes they are trying to hinder the development of the 2D bar code industry in the USA through ludicrous patents.
Its funny how the USA is so litigious but Jaapan uses the open Qr standard and is booming in the number of QR campaigns deployed each and every day.
You can read some of my posts on the QR industry at http://deancollinsblog.blogspot.com/search?q=qr
And yes Streetstylz is correct the EFF won a non final judgement (lol as stunning a win as it was - knocking all 95 out of 95 patents back).
I haven't read the Neomedia resubmission from Friday yet but I'm sure the EFF lawyers are having a fun weekend.
Want to support open markets go donate at www.eff.org
Cheers,
Dean
p.s. lol - i cant believe I'm defending streetstylz
@ Dean Collins
The beauty in all of this is that the EFF has been completely closed out of the reexamination process. NeoMedia had the option to respond to the EFF's submission to the USPTO, and NeoMedia was smart enough not to respond. Now the patent reexamination process is just between the USPTO and NeoMedia's lawyer. The EFF can go f*ck themselves!
It's important to understand that NeoMedia's patents cover a very specific process known as indirect encoding. This is the same patented process that Scanbuy is currently infringing on (litigation ongoing), and the same patented process that CTIA and all 5 US carriers just agreed to adopt.
That being said, advocates for direct encoding and QR codes (Google's Sean Owens, David Harper, Dean Collins, ect) are not affected by NeoMedia's patents. So to state NeoMedia is trying to hinder the development of the 2D bar code industry in the USA through ludicrous patents is laughable at best. You are not affected by NeoMedia's patents so go about your business and STFU!
streetstylz:
goodness. strong words. 100% correct, but a little strong in the words.
I am amazed by those who say that NeoMedia will kill others in the business. Where does this come from ?? - probably only EEF. My guess is that if we check, we will find that EEF shares offices with the ACLU. They are in the business of killing real business progress, based on laws and patents. The people or entities who support the EEF filings are competitiors or those who do not like the fact that an intelligent person created a patent to cover their idea/invention. Truely amazing.
@ Rick
Thank you for the support. My apologies for the strong words.
It frustrates me when competing companies and individuals continue to exhibit extreme ignorance towards their lack of understanding of NeoMedia's patents. Especially when they erroneously claim that NeoMedia has been responsible for stifling innovation and trying to hinder the development of the mobile code ecosystem. That couldn't be farther from the truth.
NeoMedia had the foresight to develop their strong patent portfolio back in the mid 90's and early 2000 in an effort to protect their mobile code reading technology.
NeoMedia has a right to defend it's intellectual property and a right to go after patent infringers like Scanbuy.
@ Dean Collins: "knocking all 95 out of 95 patents back..."
Hello mate, we met at the MobileBarCode Camp gathering last Nov., 2007, in downtown Manhattan. It was a blast and I'll be looking forward to the next one.
Regarding your aforementioned quote, this simply is not the case.
What the PTO did do in fact was to deny all 95 claims against the one and only patent under reexamination - Patent #6199048. This is standard procedure by the PTO for these types of proceedings, as it rubber stamps the entire reexam package back into the hands of the original patentholder NeoMedia for formal response.
In the interim, the EFF is permamently locked out (enjoined) from any/all discussions with the PTO while NeoMedia actually has the ability to discuss as well as expand (broaden) their patent from its original form; all of which they have done on Claims #1, 17, 28, 32, 36, 52, 63, 71, 87 & 92. Meanwhile Anthony Barkume, Esq. has eliminated Claims #15, 16, 50, 51, 85 & 86 in total.
Hope this helps.
All the Best, JP
No-one uses adverts as a primary language or means of communication. And it's exactly for this reason that adverts will never be the place where this absolutely incredible technology is eventually primarily nested.
Other needs/desires/privileges/rewards/content/network access rights etc. will be what leads you and I and everyone we know to snap, scan or follow any barcode activated link. The barcode-linked destinations may contain some adverts as a secondary garnish, or there may not. Barcodes are just hyperlinks between 3D objects and 4D environments. A means of communication. Adverts are only as prominent an application of these links as they are relatively prominent phenomena when compared to all artifacts and communications in the real world. So focusing the use of barcodes in absolutely all communication before adverts is where this technology should be directed. This is covered to an extent in the history of barcodes usage (Cuecat (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cue_cat) being hacked etc.) but there is a fantastic opportunity to move beyond the carrot of advertising to a gateway that re-invents real/networked worlds crossover. Someone please please develop this because we all want it.
@streetstylz
What's your link to NeoMedia? Your blog is nothing more than NeoMedia marketing propaganda and you seem to be all over the web obsessively evangelizing their position: http://is.gd/3osa
@ Jeff Burton
Re: NeoMedia
The experiences of this Dallas-based company would be an example of StreetStyle’s "tactics" to "bully" companies.
http://www.biggu.com/2008/10/01/barcode-ip-landscape
no. theres always room for one more online advertising disruptor
lets all stop polluting the web
-poof-
your
ads
today.