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Two innovative technologies come together for the enjoyment of the mobile user

Camera phones have been around for some time now, and their optics and technical features are constantly improving. Another innovation, 2D codes, has been around for a while, too. Today these two technologies have been combined to the advantage of mobile users. Here we link you with external resources and offer further info on the subject. Be in the know. Dig in.

Frequently asked questions

• General
• Creating
• Scanning
• Datamatrix
• Quick Response (QR)
• Explore external resources

General

What are mobile codes?

'Mobile codes' are codes in the same way as ordinary barcodes are, but their matrix structure can hold more information. The codes are also mobile in the sense that you can use the camera on your mobile device to scan and decode them.

You can convert a web address (URL), a phone number, an email address or plain text into a mobile code. After scanning it with your camera phone, you will have instant access to the encoded information straight on the display of your mobile device.

Mobile codes are increasing in popularity. You can find them these days pretty much anywhere: as tags on flyers and posters; on business cards and CVs; in magazines and blogs; offline and online. They are a great way of sharing information with friends and communicating your message to strangers in a fun way.

 

What are 2D codes?

'Mobile codes' are in fact 2D codes, two-dimensional codes that can hold much more data than ordinary barcodes - linear 1D codes - due to their matrix structure.

What can I do with mobile codes?

The simplest answer would be - whatever you want. The possibilities are endless.

You can encode your mobile site address and put it on your blog page or website for easy access. Or you can create a mobile code with your phone number or email address and print it on the back of your business card.

Whatever it is, mobile codes make accessing information with a mobile device a one-click matter.

Creating

What type of information can I encode into a mobile code?

Our mobile code generator can convert a web address (URL), a phone number, an email address or plain text into a code readable with a camera phone.

How is this useful?

Mobile devices and mobile codes have come together... now it's your turn to make all sorts of connections, online and offline. These codes give you interesting connections and experiences, both in the physical world and by linking into the vast array of online digital content. All in just a few clicks.

With these codes browsing the Internet with your mobile device becomes very easy. Instead of typing in those often long web addresses in your mobile browser, you can use a normal computer and keyboard to create a mobile code using the mobile code generator. Once you have entered the data and generated the code, you can immediately scan the code image from the computer display and connect with the encoded information through your mobile device.

 

What can I do after creating a mobile code?

That’s really up to you. We’d suggest sharing it. Once your code is ready, you can print it or right-click on the image to save it to your computer. You are also provided with the image’s HTML-code, which you can copy-paste to your blog or webpage.

When printing or displaying your codes don’t forget to keep a big enough quiet zone around them, to ensure a successful scanning process.

What can I do with the HTML-code provided next to the mobile code I had created?

Many online services support the personalization of users’ home pages. These can be blogging sites, image sharing sites and various other services available on the internet.

An easy way to add a code to your web page is to use the Permalink or the HTML-code created by the mobile code generator.

It’s quick and easy. Click on the Permalink, to see the URL of the image. Copy and paste the HTML-code (available next to the mobile code you had created) to the source code of your website or service.

Before you know it, you will be displaying your newly created mobile codes online; on the blog section of MySpace or on the Tagworlds site.

In what format are the mobile codes I have created?

We like open standards: the two currently available open-standard formats for 2D codes are Datamatrix (DM) and Quick Response (QR). Our site uses currently the Datamatrix standard. Some of the readers proposed on this site can read QR codes as well, including the Nokia barcode reader.

Why do I have different sizes available when creating a mobile code?

You can choose different sizes for the mobile code depending on what you would like to do with it. Often the bigger the code image is, the easier it is to scan.

Readability of mobile codes varies from device to device, the application being used, and even the distance from which you scan the image. You might also want to take into consideration what size would be most suitable for scanning from a computer screen, from paper, or on a particular graphic layout.

I tried to transfer a mobile code onto a T-shirt, but my reader does not detect it. Why?

We have experienced similar problems when using the domestic method of ink-jet printing onto a special film; the optical characteristics of the film provided for the image transfer may be the reason. Also, wrinkles on the fabric will distort the code's image. All in all, a printed textile is a demanding surface for current camera optics and code readers.

 

Scanning