Redmond (WA) - Microsoft is giving a facelift to barcodes by adding some color.  Researchers at Microsoft have developed a high capacity barcode aptly named the “High Capacity Color Bar Code” which uses colored triangles to store more information.  The new barcodes could add more security to merchandise and even provide hyperlinks to websites.

The new barcode is slightly less than one-inch square and contains dozens of small red, green, yellow and black triangles.  Researchers claim the codes can be scanned by webcams or high-quality cameras in mobile phones.  Ultimately the bar codes could hold up to twice the information than traditional black and white stripe bar codes.

Microsoft has already partnered up with the International Standard Audiovisual Numbering system which is the DVD/CD equivalent to the ISBN system for books.  The new codes should start appearing on some DVD and Xbox 360 game discs later this year.

So why make a new bar code?  Microsoft says extra security information can be “invisibly” embedded into the squares.  The extra available information could also give a hyperlink to mobile phone users who scan the package.

The colorful squares aren’t suitable for all packages and probably won’t be used anytime soon on mailing packages since the rough handling and weather will often wear away to exposed paper.  Stores will also have to buy new scanning equipment, at several hundred Dollars a pop, to read the bar codes.

Microsoft develops a 2D barcode

Apr 16, 2007 19:45     

Well it is finally time for MSFT to enter another realm. Why 2d barcodes? How about owning a 2D symbology reading company? A company who owns the IP to provide a one click to content. Sounds like MSFT likes to traverse on other companies IP. Why not just license the technology?
Swampthing report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Didn't that whole web to barcode thing fail before

Apr 16, 2007 23:07     

In fact, I have a case of C-cats sitting around here somewhere.
AustynSN report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Doesn't this tie-in with claims made a year or two ...

Apr 17, 2007 17:40     

Doesn't this tie-in with claims made a year or two ago by some guy who was claiming to have invented some kind of high-capacity storage on a paper-based disc medium by using microscopic multicoloured encoding to replace the pits and lands of a normal pressed disc? He was claiming greater information density than DVD-ROM and much lower production costs of paper-based storage media. Everyone sort of laughed it off and it disappeared.

Kryojenix report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Yeah, this is the old cue cat technology just refin...

Apr 17, 2007 21:17     

Yeah, this is the old cue cat technology just refined to today's life. The cue cat was well before its time. The refined version provide one click to content from the 2D symbology, UPC, keyword, logo, trademark, billboard, slogan, RFID, etc. Check it out, it is more indepth than the cue cat ever was. Just Qode it.
Swampthing report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Gotta love those Jamaican colours!

Apr 18, 2007 11:31     

RASTA MON! Nice to see Willy Gates reppin those sweet Jamaican colors. What a classy fella.
Wingless report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0