Nokia Barcode and Business Card Reader: Taking the definition of a platform and throwing it out the window!
By Stefan Constantinescu on Saturday, January 20th, 2007 at 10:47 PM PST In Ideas and rants
One might think that all phones running a particular operating system (S60v3) would be able to run all the software made for said platform.
Well Nokia (NYSE: NOK) doesn’t do that. The barcode reader is something that you have to get for your device:
Back in December, Tommi announced
that the Barcode Reader app that comes preinstalled on the N93 would be
made available in both the Download! client of select Nseries devices,
as well as the support pages.My buddy Ricky and I updated our Catalogs app in hopes to find some
new goodies and in doing so, lost the Barcode Reader download client
that used to be there. Fortunately, on January 3rd the app was added
to the software section for the N73. Unfortunately, its not yet available on the N80 and N80ie support pages.With Barcode reader
application you can scan and decode 2D barcodes with your mobile phone.
Most of the codes contain short amount of data, such as an URL. The
main driver to use barcode reader is the easiness of scanning codes
compared to typing in a web address with a mobile phone. The reader
supports QR code and Datamatrix code.The Nokia Barcode Reader for the N73 and N73 Music Edition can be downloaded here.
Source: Darla Mack
The same thing can be said about the Business card reader, which only works on the N73:
Nokia has released a new freeware software for Nokia S60 3rd Edition
mobile devices called Nokia Business Card Reader. Somewhat hidden in
the midst of available applicatons, the Business Card Reader allows you
to
scan a business card using the cell phone’s camera, adjust it
for the mobile device screen and read the phone numbers off the card.While the app is a cool concept, it totally takes away from the
camera of the N73. Then again it could just be the business cards.The camera options for scanning the business card are up close and auto. You can scan either 1 card or multiple.
Apparently, this app is only available for the China market (according to the path of the download link) but can be downloaded here. This app will only work on the N73, hence the title, N73 Business Card Reader.
Source: Darla Mack
How would you feel if your favorite Windows application only worked on HP laptops, and another one of your list of favorite applications only worked on Lenovo (OTCPK: LNVGY) and Dell desktops? I don’t see the logic in this at all and it’s hurting the S60 platform. I expect all applications written for S60 to be working all devices running S60. Nothing less!
S60 devices have different camera modules, and if you do some ultra-advanced image analysis (such as bar code or business card reading), you need to make some tweaks for each camera module, and build device-specific versions. And these apps are primarily developed to be built-in.
So are you saying that we shouldn’t release this kind of (device specific) apps as sis packages at all?
I am all for the features Tommi but it is confusing for an end user to have to know to get a sis file specific for their phone.
People are very social about their mobiles, if you carried an N73 and I an N93, you showed me the barcode reader and I wanted it, how would you send it to me? There is no all-in-one sis file.
Sure advanced users might know how to find it via google, but regular people …
I would much rather see device specific applications be released on top of firmware updates, or some other method where a user is informed about updated functionality. How often do people really use the Download! client?
Did you read my post about push versus pull data delivery? Wouldn’t it be grand if a Nokia user could register their mobile phone on a website and get emails specifically relating to their device?
I bought an iPod a long time ago, and have since gotten rid of it, but when I did have it Apple took care to send me emails about updates to the product line, sales, and even tell me about popular music. They weren’t excessive, and most importantly the ads had proper taste. I opted in to the whole system.
Nokia could make themselves that useful. I’d feel great if I got an email every once in a while showing me new phones released that I might be interested in, or updated applications, ring tones, wall papers, etc.
Main message I’m trying to deliver: those apps are great, but making them phone specific and worst of all not telling users about them, means that they won’t be adopted. It hurts the platform.
I think the main problem with your push-vs-pull argument (at least in the States) is that doing it on the device isn’t feasible because any method of pushing information to the device costs $$ to the user. If you do it via data, some people (believe it or not) do not even have data active on their S60 devices. If you do it with a text message, people get all in a huff, as well. I personally NEVER subscribe to “friendly newsletters,” even from Nokia, because I have enough crap in my inbox.
Perhaps if whenever I connected to PC Suite it would automatically update Download! or something, I don’t know, but I can appreciate Tommi’s point as well.
This remind me of a platform named Qode which is downloadable on most of the Nokia phones.
http://www.qode.com
Also, Neomedia is working with Gavitec, HP, and others to establish a universal reader.
For a much better barcode reader read this review: http://www.gsmblog.net/article.do?keyword=barcode-reader-test-kaywa This barcode reader leaves nokias in the dust
all over the place, and do it with other articles too, to get my url out there
my friend saw it demo’d on the nokia lounge on an n93…the business card reader…do you know antying about it?
Try QuickMark, it’s got a great barcode reader too.
http://www.quickmark.com.tw
Dont know if it is mentioned above
http://symbianv3.com/nokia-multiscanner-recognize-texts-with-camera/
wounders for me