Bar Code Window Shopping

NPR's Day to Day had an interesting segment today about bar code technology being used by more than 500 San Francisco restaurants, shops and businesses to entice passers-by. Here's how it works:

A customer walks up to a restaurant that displays the bar code, takes a picture of it with a cell phone and then instantly downloads reviews, a menu and a wine list. Likewise, scanning bar codes on a bus stop could produce maps, and scanning a building could elicit fun facts.

The bar codes are apparently already being used in Japan to download music and videos along with provide information on products and businesses.

Tourists visiting the Bay Area can also take advantage of free listening tours, provided by Antenna Audio. Scanning the bar code lets the user listen to short audio snippets about landmarks around the city. Sort of like the audio guides available at museums and zoos. The catch is that you have to first download the special software to your cell phone. The Android Guys see a lot more applications for the technology:

Aside from restaurants, we could see this happening with night clubs, hotels, and landmarks and other attractions. How convenient would it be to snap a picture from a movie poster and get the trailer downloaded/ streamed to your phone? Playable demo's from games and other mobile software could be made available by taking a picture of the back of a box or out of a magazine.

(Photo by brothergrimm)