Why all the phone barcode things suddenly?

[Techniquest]

Can I make a request please? If we're going to have people put these barcodes on posts here, can we also please have a textual version in English for those of us who don't use the latest technology?

Thanks.

 

[transportphoto]

Can I make a request please? If we're going to have people put these barcodes on posts here, can we also please have a textual version in English for those of us who don't use the latest technology?

Thanks.

Ok,

Relating to my ones 21:39:

1. This is a stupid idea...
2. What is the point in using images to disguise text?
3. Get my point?
4. Sorry for the different sizes of QR Code

[idea for new thread] A thread where all posts have to be in the format of a qr code? [/idea for new thread]

 

[Techniquest]

Thanks transportphoto, most appreciated. Hopefully if the barcodes fad continues for a while, then people will continue to add explanatory text too.

 

[trentside]

Sorry - couldn't resist.

QR CODE SPOILER: It suggests this fad may pass, but in different words

 

[jon0844]

Not quite sure what you are saying here. You use the camera's phone to photograph the QR code, then use an app such as ScanLife to scan it and decode it.

If the text it contains is a hyperlink you can click on that to go to the web page such as Wikipedia's write-up on Joseph Wright's "The Orrery" if you are in Derby Museum and Art Gallery looking at it.

My point was that if you're reading a forum/website that has a QR code on your phone, how do you scan the phone screen with the phone itself?

And, yes, you can use two phones as Deerfold says!

Anyway, I don't see any harm having the barcodes in this thread as it's quite light hearted, but I don't think they really need to be a regular appearance on here. They're better used in print, on posters, letters etc.

The only time I'd really suggest using them online is when the idea is to give quick access to an app or video by using your phone to scan the screen and jump to a site - but on an Android phone you can in fact click on any app in Android Market and then install it on your phone by clicking 'install to device'. Even quicker, and even cooler!

 

[MCR247]

On iPod Touch/iPhone you can take a picture of what is on the screen by pressing the home button and the button on the top.

It is saved with the rest of your pictures that you took on the camera.

You then open your QR scanner.

Instead of pressing take a photo, you can press choose photo

Choose photo and position it so the QR code is centre screen

It will decode it

 

[jon0844]

Fair enough. But, I think the better option is to use QR codes sparingly - and only in conjunction with normal links/text!

 

[Eagle]

For anyone who still thinks this is a good idea:

That should do it.

 

[SS4]

For anyone who still thinks this is a good idea:
never gonna give you up <snip>
That should do it.

It still beats most of the crap around today

 

[43021HST]

HTC Sense is very chunky but it is also well featured. What I didn't like was all the useless apps that come preinstalled.

Technology is moving too quickly at the moment, it's almost a running joke that Apple will have the iPhone [sic] (x+1) six months after the release of the current iPhone [sic]

I ended up spending £2.00 of my credit on accidently pressing useless internet buttons on there, which is a right pain in the arse when I only had £3.00 on my phone (yep I'm still pay as you go). I think my phone is a HTC wildfire.

 

[RailwayBear]

They can also be used for blackberrys for the blackberry messenger feature!!

 

[HST Power]

I ended up spending £2.00 of my credit on accidently pressing useless internet buttons on there, which is a right pain in the arse when I only had £3.00 on my phone (yep I'm still pay as you go). I think my phone is a HTC wildfire.

Get contract, it's much better.

 

[Crossover]

On iPod Touch/iPhone you can take a picture of what is on the screen by pressing the home button and the button on the top.

It is saved with the rest of your pictures that you took on the camera.

Excellent - I've wondered how people have done that and uploaded screenshots to Facebook...learn something new everyday!

 

[jon0844]

You can also do this on some new LG Android handsets (including the Optimus 2X), as a blatant copy of Apple!

 

[MCR247]

They can also be used for blackberrys for the blackberry messenger feature!!

Which is the most overrated and pointless thing I know of

 

[ralphchadkirk]

You can also do this on some new LG Android handsets (including the Optimus 2X), as a blatant copy of Apple!

Quite a few smartphones now seem to have copied something from Apple.

 

[OxtedL]

Which is the most overrated and pointless thing I know of

But free. (well, de facto)

 

[jon0844]

Quite a few smartphones now seem to have copied something from Apple.

Yes, and quite a few may be facing lawsuits in the coming years. There's nothing unique to Apple about taking screen grabs (handsets did this BEFORE Apple) but if you copy it by literally making it so you press the power button and home key, expect trouble. LG should have considered another key-combo, but hey ho.

Look at Samsung as a good example! What's crazy is that Samsung is one of the biggest suppliers of components to Apple - so you'd think they'd come to some sort of private arrangement than a big court case. Still, it keeps the lawyers rich.

 

[SS4]

Get contract, it's much better.

Don't you have to be 18 to get a contract?

I'm only 16...

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Quite a few smartphones now seem to have copied something from Apple.

Apple aren't whiter than white. Their antitrust 'features' make Microsoft look open-source!

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Apple aren't whiter than white. Their antitrust 'features' make Microsoft look open-source!

But at least they don't copy! I prefer Apple being closed source anyway. I can download an app and be sure that it's not going to do something horrible to my phone. Unlike Android...

 

[jon0844]

The same can be said about other open source OSes, like Symbian or the original Windows Mobile OS (not Windows Phone OS). These could be affected if you installed an unknown app, but I still prefer to be able to run anything I want with a tiny risk, than have someone tell me what I can and can not run.

Despite some scary stories in the mainstream media (what a surprise!), the risks are small and you'd still need to willingly click 'accept' to the various warnings when installing unsigned apps, or apps that have access to things they clearly shouldn't have.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

The same can be said about other open source OSes, like Symbian or the original Windows Mobile OS (not Windows Phone OS).

I only mentioned Android specifically, as there was that security issue with their app store a couple of months ago.

I still prefer to be able to run anything I want with a tiny risk, than have someone tell me what I can and can not run.

Nobody at Apple's telling you what you can and can't run, they're just making sure there is a minimum level of security and quality.

Despite some scary stories in the mainstream media (what a surprise!), the risks are small and you'd still need to willingly click 'accept' to the various warnings when installing unsigned apps, or apps that have access to things they clearly shouldn't have.

Or even better, make sure the apps can't have access to those things in the first place...

 

[jon0844]

If you restrict access completely to user data, the camera, GPS or whatever then you're back where Apple is.

Even Microsoft intends to open up the OS a lot with 'Mango'. I got the release today about iOS 5 being announced next week, so it will be interesting to see if Apple opens up a little more with the next version - or introduces Android-like features, e.g. widgets etc.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

If you restrict access completely to user data, the camera, GPS or whatever then you're back where Apple is.

Apple still allow access to user data, camera, GPS etc, but they will vet the app to make sure it isn't doing anything nasty.

Even Microsoft intends to open up the OS a lot with 'Mango'. I got the release today about iOS 5 being announced next week, so it will be interesting to see if Apple opens up a little more with the next version - or introduces Android-like features, e.g. widgets etc.

I've never tried any kind of MS phone software, but I've never liked the look of it.
Speculation is rife about iOS 5. Hopefully they don't end up copying Google.

 

[SS4]

I only mentioned Android specifically, as there was that security issue with their app store a couple of months ago.

Indeed. Nobody knows how many security issues iOS has because only Apple have that knowledge. At least developers can look at the Android kernel, spot and error and patch it. Indeed, that security issue you linked to only affected users of Android 2.2 Froyo (admittedly the most popular version at the time) yet there were 2.3 Gingerbread ROMs out there that remained unaffected.

Nobody at Apple's telling you what you can and can't run, they're just making sure there is a minimum level of security and quality.

Such as alarm clocks that don't go off when the time is changed despite being set? Come to think of it how is disallowing and removing apps from the market not dictating what you cannot install?

Apple still allow access to user data, camera, GPS etc, but they will vet the app to make sure it isn't doing anything nasty.

Yet Apple can insert any code they like - such as tracking iPhone [sic] users.

Does it not bother you that what you can have on YOUR phone is SOLELY dictated by Apple? VLC was pulled by Apple because Apple did not like VLC's licence (GPL) and wanted complete control in order to install DRM infected apps instead because Overlord Jobs knows best.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Indeed. Nobody knows how many security issues iOS has because only Apple have that knowledge. At least developers can look at the Android kernel, spot and error and patch it. Indeed, that security issue you linked to only affected users of Android 2.2 Froyo (admittedly the most popular version at the time) yet there were 2.3 Gingerbread ROMs out there that remained unaffected.

You honestly think that if similar security issues had happened at Apple they would just stay schtum? :roll:

Such as alarm clocks that don't go off when the time is changed despite being set?

A simple bug. Bugs get into every kind of software.

Come to think of it how is disallowing and removing apps from the market not dictating what you cannot install?

Because the end user is never given the choice to install it. Most of the millions will never hear of the disallowed apps. Logic says that if you don't know it exists, then you won't want to install it, thus Apple are not dictating what they can install.

Yet Apple can insert any code they like - such as tracking iPhone [sic] users.

You should only use [sic] where you are denoting the passage is quoted exactly from the original source. No need to do that for iPhone!

In any case, Apple did not track any users. No data was sent to Apple. The data was so inaccurate anyway, it would only give a general location - sometimes hundreds of miles out.

Does it not bother you that what you can have on YOUR phone is SOLELY dictated by Apple? VLC was pulled by Apple because Apple did not like VLC's licence (GPL) and wanted complete control in order to install DRM infected apps instead because Overlord Jobs knows best.

Apple didn't remove it because they didn't like the licensing. That's untrue. I suggest you read this: http://www.tuaw.com/2011/01/08/vlc-app-removed-from-app-store/

 

[1V53]

On iPod Touch/iPhone you can take a picture of what is on the screen by pressing the home button and the button on the top.

It is saved with the rest of your pictures that you took on the camera.

You then open your QR scanner.

Instead of pressing take a photo, you can press choose photo

Choose photo and position it so the QR code is centre screen

It will decode it

What on earth is the point? Surely this is pointless technology if used on this forum? What could be easier than either clicking a link or reading some text without pi**ing about first, as we always used to?

I can sort of understand their use on advertising posters etc but then isn't advertising supposed to reach as many people as possible, not restrict access to a section of society with QR readers?!

Let's not waste time with using technology for the sake of it please. And yes I do have an iPhone, but haven't yet seen the need for downloading and using a reader.

 

[jon0844]

The data tracked wasn't hundreds if miles out. Bar the odd spike (just as GPS can sometimes misread and put you on the wrong side of the world and at a speed that is beyond Science Fiction), cell-ID data will be at most around 1-2km, and only in rural areas.

They were caught out, and came back with a 'oops it was a bug' and quickly patched it. The free app for your desktop that decoded the file proves the data was recorded.

But, hey, the tracking isn't (in my opinion) a bad thing. It helps Apple find out your movements that help target more localised content and advertising. Just as Google is doing. If you want most things to be free, it's a price you'll have to pay. At least Google make it abundantly clear (you have no choice but to read the warning about being tracked and the anonymous data being shared with Google, then click 'accept') while Apple seemed to deny it - at first - until they had no choice as the evidence was too strong.

Apple did of course do the same with 'antennagate' and they also did the 'oops' press statements, blaming the software engineers for bugs that made the older phones show too high a signal - thus making the iPhone 4 look better than the iPhone 3/3GS. Steve Jobs then acted like a kid by holding a conference to show how he could make other phones drop signal by holding them in silly ways.

Still, even as I write this (on a Mac Pro) and have my iPod touch, iPhone 3G and MacBook Air, I feel myself torn between pointing out the hard truths while still having an undeniable love for their products and wanting to defend them at all costs!

 

[Deerfold]

A simple bug. Bugs get into every kind of software.

Fairly major one for an alarm clock!

Because the end user is never given the choice to install it. Most of the millions will never hear of the disallowed apps. Logic says that if you don't know it exists, then you won't want to install it, thus Apple are not dictating what they can install.

Sounds exactly like Apple dictating what they can install. I'm sure not being aware of an option doesn't mean I'm being allowed it!

You should only use [sic] where you are denoting the passage is quoted exactly from the original source. No need to do that for iPhone!

I think he has an issue with Apple's use of English - so is showing it's Apple's usage rather than putting (say) Iphone.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

The data tracked wasn't hundreds if miles out. Bar the odd spike (just as GPS can sometimes misread and put you on the wrong side of the world and at a speed that is beyond Science Fiction), cell-ID data will be at most around 1-2km, and only in rural areas.

Mine was hundreds of miles out! It claimed I had been in North western Cumbria, and I have been nowhere near! The closest I got to where it claimed I was, was Newcastle.

They were caught out, and came back with a 'oops it was a bug' and quickly patched it. The free app for your desktop that decoded the file proves the data was recorded.

Yes, it was recorded, but it wouldn't have been useful for tracking sometime. I subscribe to the engineer who pushed the wrong bit of code theory, rather than evil corporation.

But, hey, the tracking isn't (in my opinion) a bad thing. It helps Apple find out your movements that help target more localised content and advertising. Just as Google is doing. If you want most things to be free, it's a price you'll have to pay. At least Google make it abundantly clear (you have no choice but to read the warning about being tracked and the anonymous data being shared with Google, then click 'accept') while Apple seemed to deny it - at first - until they had no choice as the evidence was too strong.

I don't think Apple denied it, but said they would look into it when it first arose. Of course, if people had read the T&C's then they would know that it was possible. All you had to do was turn off Location Services anyway...

Apple did of course do the same with 'antennagate' and they also did the 'oops' press statements, blaming the software engineers for bugs that made the older phones show too high a signal - thus making the iPhone 4 look better than the iPhone 3/3GS. Steve Jobs then acted like a kid by holding a conference to show how he could make other phones drop signal by holding them in silly ways.

Antennagate was a massive cockup. Never blame something which is patently a problem with your product on the customer!! Credit to Apple though, they did change the algorithm and gave all iPhone owners at that time a free case.

Still, even as I write this (on a Mac Pro) and have my iPod touch, iPhone 3G and MacBook Air, I feel myself torn between pointing out the hard truths while still having an undeniable love for their products and wanting to defend them at all costs!

I do love their products. I am typing this on a Mac Pro, my iPhone is in my pocket, and my touch is two rooms away. I love their products so much that I went out and got a job to be able to afford them. Apple have that effect, unlike Microsoft does.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Fairly major one for an alarm clock!

An annoying bug, but my no means major. A very easy one to fix as well, which made it more surprising that it happened twice (probably because people never seem to install updates)!

Sounds exactly like Apple dictating what they can install. I'm sure not being aware of an option doesn't mean I'm being allowed it!

Not really. Apple aren't giving me the option to install and then saying no, they aren't letting it get to that point. So I'll never know about that app, so will never know what I could potentially be missing. Ignorance is bliss!
I would much prefer for Apple to be overzealous with the vetting than not vetting at all.