Apple plans on rolling out new barcode functionalities in their latest OS X, Mountain Lion

Apple’s recent announcement of Mountain Lion has everyone in the mac community waiting in anticipation, but what could this mean for the barcode community?

It seems as if barcodes will play a large role in Mountain Lion. It’s rumored that the new OS X will have a new “CoreRecognition” and a “CRCodeRedeemer” built for turning barcodes into app licenses.

Current 2D barcodes, such as QR codes, may link to a website or app, but visitors do not always convert into customers. The new features in Mountain Lion will allow users to hold up a card to the Mac’s camera and download prepaid apps from the App Store. This proves to be especially convenient for developers who are looking to market their apps at events and tradeshows.

You may even be able to log-on to your mac through a simple wave of your iPhone.

While speculations are circulating, it makes sense that Apple make barcodes a larger part of their operating system, namely due to their huge growth in recent years.

How do you think Apple will integrate barcode scanning into their new Mountain Lion OS X? Share your thoughts by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

Learn QR code best practices so you don’t become a #qrcodefail

I recently came across a post entitled, “How Not to Display a QR Code” and I couldn’t have agreed more:

As you can see, the QR code was placed on a busy store front window, with no call to action. Once scanned, the barcode simply took the user to the non-mobile friendly website of the store. Why even bother creating a QR code if you are going to a) not have it tied to a strategic marketing campaign, b) not have a call to action and c) give it poor visibility.

If you’re thinking about using QR codes, you need to think about the proper marketing strategy and act on it! Check out the top QR code fails of 2011 and learn best practices.

See more QR code fails? Twitpic @BarcodingBlog and use hashtag #qrcodefail.

If you watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, then you probably saw the GoDaddy commercial. This year’s commercial differed from previous years in that it featured a QR code.

While QR codes have made it to TV before, they are still primarily being used in print campaigns. However, Go Daddy’s use of the QR code during the Super Bowl reaped “the best mobile website traffic… ever.”

Because of their televised QR code campaign, GoDaddy’s customer base expanded beyond the 10 million mark for the first time. Because GoDaddy offered discounts and created two internet-only commercials, which could be accessed through QR codes on the televised commercials, mobile site traffic spiked

Could this be the start of more televised QR code campaigns? Share your thoughts by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

The USPS’ summer QR code campaign was a huge success… will they be able to expand upon their success in 2012?

Over the summer, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) used QR codes on mailers to give a discount on Standard and First-Class mail items. The program was so successful, that the USPS board insists that a similar promotion be done in 2012.

While the details of the promotion are still TBA, the USPS is looking to expand upon their campaign from last year, engaging consumers and creating lasting success for the mail.

It’s refreshing to see that even a large, government run institution such as the USPS is using QR codes to their advantage. In an age where e-mails are sent instantaneously, automatically and on-the-go, the USPS needs to keep mail alive, and QR codes may just be that solution.

Did you participate in the USPS QR code campaign last year to receive a discount? Why or why not? Share your thoughts by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

Today, QR codes can become quite trite if not part of a well thought out campaign. The standard QR code printed on an ad has been done all too many times. However, I recently came across this interesting use of QR codes in which Scandinavian Airlines sent an e-mail to subscribers that contained two QR codes. From there, the recipient and their partner would scan the QR codes and watch a diptych style move from their smartphones. At the end of the video, a promotional code was revealed. Watch the video below to see this innovative campaign in action:

Couple Up to Buckle Up from T&J on Vimeo.

Share your thoughts on this campaign, or any other interesting ones you’ve seen, by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.