Redmond (WA) - Following recent release of SeaDragon Mobile for iPhone, Redmond-based software giant has released its second iPhone application - which is also free of charge. Dubbed TagReader, the application lets iPhone owners snap multicolored barcodes around them to get interactive and personalized business and personal content directly on their handsets, without having to type anything or do a web search. Instead, you simply snap a tag with your cellphone to automatically get things like movie times, videos, music, driving directions, contact details, retailers' promotions, product details, bus directions, social profiles, and many more.

Microsoft Tag is the software maker's take on barcodes. Basically multicolored mobile barcodes can be applied to product packaging, advertising, points of sales and other points of interest. Tags are meant to be snapped by mobile phone users to retrieve more information. Paired with the accompanying tag reading software which recognizes shapes and turns them into query sent to Microsoft's servers, the technology connects users to related online information, freeing him from having to type long URLs or texting shortcodes or launch browser.

With TagReader for iPhone, you can snap a tag using built-in camera on your handset to get linked interactive content. The application is pretty straightforward and it gets the job done. You simply center the barcode (filling about half the screen), tap the button to scan a tag, and, while holding your hand steady even after the click, press the "Use Photo" button to get the linked information. Since a camera is required for the operation, TagReader does not work on iPod touch. Things get really interesting when you create your own tag that links, for example, to your social profile on the web, blog entries or your contact details.

To marketers, tags provide a way to connect their brand in a physical world to personalized and interactive content on users' cellphones. For instance, you can snap a tag of a restaurant in a print or online ad to get driving directions on your phone. Or, scan a tag on a movie poster to get trailer on your handset and local movie times. You can even put tags on your business cards to enable your contacts to easily get to your online profile and real estate listings and they are popping up in public places like bus stops where a tag on a route sign connects you to real-time schedule on your phone or the entire route map.

The only problem with Microsoft Tag technology is that it's not yet wide-spread so you'd have to try really hard to find them around you. With that in mind, this also limits usefulness ofTagReader on your iPhone, but you can always have fun with snapping a test tag on the Microsoft Tag homepage that should link you to this page on your mobile.

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