Demonstrating The Cellphone Code Reader

In some Asian countries, bar code readers come installed on new cellphones. For now in the United States, consumers who want to try the technology have to download the reader software.

The capabilities are still rudimentary in America, but here is a basic demonstration.

Barcodes can be read using qode® software from NeoMedia Technologies. The software will work on many phones — like new models of Motorola’s Razr and Rokr, some Nokia phones, most new Sony Ericsson phones, and Samsung models. It will not work on any Palm devices or phones offered by Verizon yet.

To see if your phone is capable of operating the barcode reader, visit get.qode.com on your phone’s Web browser. Alternatively, you can send the word “qode” in a text message to 66268, and instructions will be sent to your phone.

Once the reader program is installed, start the program, aim your camera phone at the barcode above and then take a photo. The code will then initiate a response on your phone’s screen.

You can view that response even if the qode® website says that your phone cannot use the barcode reader. On the site, click on qode®Window and enter the keyword "NYTCODE" to see the response the bar code generates.

Source: The New York Times