iPhone App #2 from Microsoft Research: Tag

The Microsoft Tag application comes to iPhone today.

from: http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Microsofts_second_iPhone_app37275064.html

Microsoft has introduced its second iPhone application in the past month, a free service called Tag Reader that allows users to snap photos of interactive 2D bar codes and immediately be transported to more information. (Maps, videos, music, promotions, etc.) That means mobile phone users don't have to type in long URLs from a mobile browser.

One can imagine a number of real world uses of the technology. For example, a museum could place one of the interactive tags next to a painting. An iPhone user with Tag Reader installed could then take a photo of the bar code and be transported to a video of how the artist created the work.

The introduction of Tag Reader follows the debut of Seadragon Mobile, a photo zoom and browsing technology that was Microsoft's first iPhone application. At the time of the release of that app, TechFlash reported that the iPhone presented some interesting business issues for Microsoft since the popular device competes directly with its Windows Mobile operating system.

More information on Tag Reader on  this informational site, which describes how publishers and other businesses can incorporate the mobile tags into billboards, print ads and other media.

Seadragon (App #1)               Tag (App #2)