NeoMedia Technologies, Inc (NEOM)

[JPetroInc]

Notes regarding 1-D vs 2-D

1-D versus 2-D bar codes (edited)

Firstly, similar to NeoMedia's current test trial of Aztec 2-D codes, I do not know if UPC 1-D bar codes have to be "turned on" per say, to be readable by the qode®reader. In others words, I get no hits on my green cross-hairs when I focus on 1-D bar codes. But that also applies for other 2-D bar codes as well, including Aztec codes, which for the most part, may not be "turned on" either. Don't forget, we are completing Beta testing and certification on all 6 OS languages, so they have not officially pulled the Switch yet. Rest assured however, the Switch is running and is operational. When it is offically turned on, watch out.

With that said, manual entry of 1-D codes yields all kinds of wonderful product information on qode®window. Qode®window by the way, has a screen selection for choosing either manual entry 'KeyWords' or 'Barcode' numbers. So I think it's safe to say that NeoMedia does indeed have an incredibly robust volume of 1-D bar codes contained on its resolution server, some of which are accessible right now through manual qode®window entry. As I understand it, there are aprox. 4 - 5Bil. of these 1-D UPC, EAN, JAN, etc. bar codes in existence worldwide today. Activating any combination of 1-D or 2-D codes for a registration fee will be absolutely huge.

When NeoMedia acquired the assets of Qode.com, they inherited Qode's 1-D barcode data base, which back in 2001, was quite significant. I believe that NeoMedia has only added to and upgraded the server contents and it functions since.

http://www.neom.com/press_releases/2001/20010302.jsp

Mind you, NeoMedia has mentioned this server (or series of servers) as being housed in their Ft. Myers headquarters during the 10/04 ASM. So we know for certain that it exists. I also believe there may only be a handful of businesses worldwide which have this centralized in-house bar code information base as well. Also since the acquisition of Qode.com, the 2-D bar code has been making its presence felt in both the public product world (internet) and well as private label world (intranet). Why? Because it is incredibly easy to scan and holds a significant amount of information in comparison to its 1-D barcode peer. This does not include government type applications which I believe will be cryptic and highly restricted.

Regarding 1-D bar codes, in the past, the issue has always been the poor quality of cameras in phones. This is why you would see an add-on lens in any of NeoMedia's demonstrations; same for ScanBuy and the like. Unlike normal digital cameras, camera phones have simple lenses that lack the ability to auto-focus or zoom-in. Camera phones take awful close-up pictures. More mega-pixels will not fix the problem, nor will digital auto-focus. It’s simply blowing up a bad picture. Analog auto-focus is what's needed, e.g. the lens.

1-D bar codes such as UPC, EAN, JAN, etc. have black lines that are very close in proximity to one another. SmartCodes, aka Aztec Codes, QRCodes or DataMatrix Codes are easier to read than the thin black lines of a 1D bar code. NeoMedia uses Aztec among others, which has a target in the middle and large black boxes that are easy to decipher. If you increase the size of a 1-D bar code, qode®reader should read it. 1-D codes are valuable, but they're not as highly regarded as most would think. Television, radio, newspaper, billboards, magazines and many consumer brands, etc. don't even use 1-D bar codes. I also believe that the 1-D bar code will more easily be deciphered by qode®reader without a corrective lense in the future...think Gavitec and lavasphere and the Universal Reader.
I also believe that 1-D bar codes will continue to diminish in appeal and may conceivably be phased out in the future for their better 2-D code counterpart.

Taking 2-D bar codes a bit further, here is a some great information provided previously on I-Hub by YellowJacket, one of our more astute Longs with some very keen insight into 2-D bar codes:

"Using NeoMedia's Aztec 2-D code symbology in the advertising for AutoX and Cellufun, so I started wondering why? Aztec's use by NeoMedia was previously mentioned in a press article some time ago too. With Aztec 2-D you can code about 3750 alphanumeric characters in just 1 code. That's a lot! Researching how much info other symbology can handle, here's what I found:

1.) mCode (Connexto/Nextcode) = phone number to hundreds of characters
2.) SemaCode = aprox. 100 plus characters
3.) DataMatrix Code = aprox. 2335 characters
4.) QRCode (Japan) = aprox. 300 characters
5.) Aztec Code (NEOM) = aprox. 3750 characters from entire 256 byte ASCII character set.

Having so much information imbedded in the 2-D code itself would be very meaningful in certain settings, such as providing assembly instructions, or a recipe, or dietary content for example. From Wikapedia: "The Aztec Code is a 2 dimensional matrix style bar code symbology. The Aztec Code was invented by Andrew Longacre, Jr. of Welch Allyn Inc (currently Hand Held Products Inc.) in 1995. The code was published by AIM International in 1997 and although the code is patented, it has been released to the public domain.

Encoding: The symbol is built on a square grid with at its center a bulls-eye pattern for locating the code. Data is encoded in a series of circles around the bulls-eye pattern. Each additional circle completely surrounds the previous circle thus causing the symbol to grow in size as more data is encoded. A dark module is a binary one and a light module is a binary zero. The code is orientation independent. The smallest Aztec Code symbol is 15 x 15 modules square, and the largest is 151 x 151. The smallest Aztec Code symbol encodes 13 numeric or 12 alphabetic characters. The largest Aztec Code symbol encodes 3832 numeric, 3067 alphabetic characters or 1914 bytes of data. No empty zone is required outside the bounds of the symbol."

Also, different types of codes (as mentioned above) are illustrated in the PP's article, Pick a Code - Any Code (albeit I do not support SS, his information can be useful) as follows:

http://theponderingprimate.blogspot.com/2006/09/pick-code-any-code.html

Also, don't forget that all code's can be custom designed or tailored to contain "embedded" information that the customer wishes to incorporate. NeoMedia already offers this approach to their clients with the use of its qode®reader. There have been questions asked as to whether on not qode will be able to read 2-D codes like those found at Flicker: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/qrcode/

IMO, for example, if NeoMedia were to have an embedded QRCode, qode®reader will easily read it. It all depends on who is doing the embedment protocol. As mentioned previously, I believe the plan is for qode®reader to read a variety of 2-D SmartCodes, aka Aztec Codes as well as QRCodes and DataMatrix Codes. I think what's important is for NeoMedia to get qode out the door and launched now, with greater applications available on the next upgrades of qode, such as qode Version 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, etc.

I also believe that getting thru the Beta testing and getting qode functioning to read the 6 mobile device OS languages is their Numero Uno priority:

1.) Symbian Series 60 / Available Now
2.) Java 1.0 & 2.0 / Available Now
3.) Palm / Available 4Q06
4.) MSFT-5.0 / Available 4Q06
5.) Brew / Available 4Q06
6.) Blackberry / Available 1Q07

Remember, the beauty of qode is that it automatically detects what’s needed and sends the appropriate software to the specified OS language for that particular cell phone/PDA during internet download (if not pre-downloaded by the OEM's), all customized to permission based, demographic based, location based PWC protocol's. Clicking on SmartCodes, manually entering KeyWords and 1-D bar codes are a 3-in-1 function of qode. The fact that qode is a 3-in-1 IP is specifically what will generate much interest in qode.

Qode will also allow the direct introduction of BP's to the consumer and visa versa. Why? Because it by-passes all the privacy regulations and provides for a unique 1-on-1 environment between the BP/Advertiser and the end-user. No one else is doing this. More importantly, no one else has the patent protections on the PWC process that NeoMedia does, both here in NA as well as oversea's. Anytime, anywhere, anything and everything that is contained within the physical world will be connected to the internet world using physical world hyper-links or hyper-tags. NeoMedia's qode application is at the very heart of this international gold rush. And if you don't think the big PWC players have not been in to see qode, think again. NeoMedia won't strike a deal that it believes is not financially favorable to itself as well as its shareholders.

http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=13701039

All the Best, JP