Petition for PHP support on Google App Engine

Have been tinkering with the Google App Engine for the last couple of days and since I have zero knowledge of python, I am finding it a pain to get up and running. 

Came across this interesting app asking for PHP support: http://i-want-php.appspot.com/

Wonder if some one will put up a petition for Java similar to the support on Stax. If you are a fan of PHP then please do go ahead and sign the petition. I have a feeling, some engineers at google are listening.

EZcode® Specifications Publicly Available to be a Global Standard

Scanbuy announced today that it intends to make the specifications for the EZcode 2D symbology globally available to the public.  Over the coming weeks, Scanbuy will publish the specifications for EZcode encoding and decoding to give software developers, campaign managers and code publishers worldwide the ability to utilize EZcodes which have quickly become one of the dominant mobile barcode formats worldwide.

Originally developed by ETH Zurich, Scanbuy holds the exclusive rights to the EZcode technology.  It was developed specifically for use with mobile devices and is being widely deployed in Europe, North America, Latin America and some Asian markets.  Hundreds of millions of EZcodes have been published because the mobile optimized code format can be read at a smaller physical size, provides the best performance under challenging conditions and can be decoded by the most camera phones on the market today.  These factors typically make the EZcode the preferred choice for marketers, media providers, mobile operators, and handset manufacturers.  

"Because EZcodes have quickly become a major force in the growth of mobile marketing, we believe it is now time to make this technology an open standard that everyone can use and benefit from," said Jonathan Bulkeley, Chief Executive Officer of Scanbuy.  "Scanbuy has always worked to grow and develop the worldwide 2D barcode ecosystem and today’s announcement shows our commitment to creating a vibrant and open global marketplace"

Scanbuy’s mobile barcode solutions also support Datamatrix, QR codes, and 1D formats (UPC, EAN, etc.).  Scanbuy has partnerships with major wireless operators including America Movil, Sprint, Telefonica, Telecom Italia, Telenor, and Vodafone, and with most handset manufacturers including LG and Samsung.  The ScanLife handset application has already been pre-loaded on millions of phones around the world.

I strongly believe having the EZcode open would explode the number of handsets that support barcode scanning especially since they can be scanned so easily from lower resolution handsets that still make up a major chunk of the market.  

Get the Press Release here.

Use QR Codes to talk back with the Author

Collin Edward is launching his new book: Where Am I.  In the book,  the author (also a psychologist) helps in answering the simple questions like "How do I get there? and where is there?".  I guess, everything you wanted to ask about "Space" were afraid to ask. Should make an interesting read...

The author has placed a QR code on the jacket of book so as to allow his readers to talk back to him through their cell phones. Collin mentions that he has been fascinated by the role technology has played in the shifting our relationship with place and space.  In the video below he explains the 2D barcode technology to his readers.

Read the authors take on why he is using QR Codes here.

I like the idea of 2D barcodes on book covers as a way to reach out to the author of the book. It opens up an instant channel of communication.  I just hope the URL that the code points to : (http://twitter.com/whereaminow) stays the same for a pretty long time ( I think it will).  However, I do believe that the indirect 2d barcode model could offer a more viable and effective solution for authors who would like to interact with their readers in a organized manner. Just another thing in the TO DO list for MeesaMo.

P.S> wanna a free singed copy of the book ? just scan the code on his blog and crack the code.

National Post in Canada uses ScanLife

The National Post, a daily Canadian newspaper, will start using ScanLife EZCodes starting today linking to editorial content from their mobile site (m.nationalpost.com).

The paper contains a total of 5 barcodes ( 1 on the cover and 4 in section A).

For more details click here or visit www.nationalpost.com/scanlife.

Check out the video: