What next you ask? How about Stickybits!! With Stickybits we are now able to attach digital content to real life objects, and share this content with anyone else who accesses our Stickybits barcodes.
The current phase of social media is all about location-based applications, such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Brightkite, to name a few. By downloading the Stickybits mobile application on an iPhone, users can scan the barcode and which provides the videos, photos and text which have been added, which are referred to as “bits.”
Anyone that scans the barcode, can see the bits loaded from other users and also add their own content. Stickybits barcode locations can be identified on a map provided in the application and are tracked on the Stickybits website.
I think there are things we could do with this for professional or fun things, as well as develop ideas for school.
You can attach photos, videos, music, pdfs, and more to a barcode.
It is possible to print out your own barcodes, order some snazzy ones from Zazzle, or attach ‘bits’ to existing barcodes.
Here is where it could get interesting for schools – we already have barcodes on objects – now we could attach information goodies to items that are being used for reading, learning, playing, enjoying. Would we? This is definitely a whole new idea to explore.
Would you use Sticky Bits? What would you attach to your barcode?
TechCrunch has a bit to say too:
Every place and object in the world has a secret past: who lived there, who passed by, who touched it. The secret lives of objects are filled with such details. If only you could make them talk. But what if you could give any physical object a story simply by sticking a barcode on it and appending a message to that barcode?
The barcode in a greeting card , for instance, could trigger a video message from the sender. One on a box of medical supplies could inventory what is inside. A business card with a code on it could link to a resume or LinkedIn profile. Museums and theme parks could use them for audio tours and maps. Local merchants could use the barcodes to track deliveries or place them in their storefront windows to distribute digital coupons and offers to passersby.
Laura Gainor used stickybits as a travel journal for a Disney World trip with her family from April 16 – 19, 2010!
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The idea of putting these Stickybits on books or objects for learning is fascinating. Think how more engaging physical books could become for non-readers or the ability for older readers to review etc books for younger readers.
A school display for open nights or parent evenings could be fantastic! What about for student-designed museums?
Thanks for the article. Although the reality of this app is in the ‘future’, it’s great to think about what can happen!
Bianca 🙂
PS: Do regular iphones scan barcodes? I didn’t know this!
Hi Judy,
Jarrod Robinson @mrrobbo The PE Geek has been doing quite a bit of work with QR codes. He does presentations on them also. You can find his posts at http://mrrobbo.wordpress.com/category/qrcode/
BTW have you seen http://www.researchinformation.info/features/feature.php?feature_id=253?
Cheers
Why not use QR codes? They’re more established, more devices can decode them (“Miss, isn’t that the Telstra thing?”) and they’re even used on product labels already (especially when you get them from stores like The Reject Shop and Crazy Clark’s).
I’ve been wanting to put QR codes on the back of toilet doors here at uni for a while – a different take on toilet humour? 🙂
So true – but I was also fascinated by Stickybits – hence the post. I have not used QR codes – any advice? Love to learn more about it.
“Mr Robbo” gave a great talk on mobiles and QR codes at ACEC 🙂
http://mrrobbo.wordpress.com/ictev-2009/
You’d probably like the one about putting QR codes in library books!!!