MSKYNET BLOG

We have been getting many requests for this feature lately and we are happy to announce that Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) output is now available for all of our premium account subscriptions and is an essential ingredient for being able to scale QR Codes for any size and medium. SVG is available in our QR Code Generator (Maestro), QR Code API (QRGen), and our Campaign Tracking system.

Links mentioned above
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
QR Code Generator API (QRGen)
QR Code Generator (Maestro)

We are pleased to announce our Beta MMS / Email QR Code decoding service called Mailbot.  It’s quite simple.  Anyone can use a mobile phone and take a picture of a QR Code and either MMS or Email it to our special address GO@SPARQ.IT.  Our system will decode the contents and immediately reply to the user with the call-to-action stored in the QR Code.  We have also introduced the concept of tagging QR Codes with labels and arrows to help increase the discoverability of QR Codes and integrated this with our QR Code API (QRGen) and our QR Code Generator (Maestro).

Links mentioned above
QR Code Generator API (QRGen)
QR Code Generator (Maestro)

The first quarter of 2010 is a very exciting one for the QR Code space in the US and the world abroad.  We are seeing some huge jumps in our QR Code Generator (QRGen) integration that spans the globe from the UK, Thailand, Australia, and even all the way through to Africa.  On the US front, the mobile landscape is changing very drastically.   In the last quarter of 2009, the iPhone had a lions share of our scan traffic at 42.8%.  However, the current iPhone share has dropped considerably by almost a full 10%, whereas the Android share has increased by almost the same amount.  Notably, the Symbian platform has lost about 5% share and the BlackBerry has only gained a few percentage points despite the native QR Code scanner built in to its BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 app. However, we think that the BlackBerry adoption rate usage for QR Codes is actually much higher.  The reason for this is that from the generation side we are seeing some very large month over month upticks of websites and other entities integrating BlackBerry PIN exchange QR Codes.  These QR Code scans are not trackable from our system since those scans do not route through us, but we are able to track when these QR Codes are being generated.

We think the next quarter is going to be even more exciting and we eagerly await to see what comes next. 

Links mentioned above
QR Code Generator API (QRGen)
QR Code Statistics (Updated Quarterly)

We have just launched custom URI integration with both our QR Code Generator API (QRGen) and QR Code Generator (Maestro).  This new functionality allows QR Codes to be created that can pass meta-data to any existing app that is already installed on an a mobile device.  This is an easy and convenient way to allow QR Codes to be the junction for launching apps and to facilitate information exchange.  Our implementation is mobile platform independent and we have tested this extensively with Android, Windows Mobile, Symbian / Nokia, BlackBerry, and iPhone.

Links mentioned above
QR Code Generator (Maestro)
QR Code Generator API (QRGen)

Today we are announcing the launch of multi-mobile platform support for calendaring to both our QR Code Generator (Maestro) and QR Code API (QRGen).  Once scanned, we will detect the phone type and automatically generate the best type of calendaring solution for that particular handset.  This is far superior from the traditional methods since integrators no longer need to worry about what type of phone model is being used to scan.  We will continually update our API on the back-end to support new phones as they enter the market so all existing calendar QR Codes created using our tools will automatically work for phones that are released in the future without any changes.  Our calendar framework supports iPhone, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Symbian / Nokia, and many other platforms.

vCal Example

Links mentioned above
QR Code Generator (Maestro)
QR Code Generator API (QRGen)

Here’s a little trick I discovered recently.

I wanted to rewrite a url, forwarding a request to another controller, with all the other parameters intact. Rather than define each individual parameter, I found that rails has a built in API to preserve the existing URL with just a few fields specified.

For instance, say I had a request going to http://www.mskynet.com/foo/log?id=123&param=456, and I wanted to redirect to http://www.mskynet.com/bar/do_work?id=123&param=456, I could do the following:

redirect_to :overwrite_params => {:controller=>’bar’, :action=>’do_work’}

This syntax would let you overwrite any of the parameters that you want to change and keep everything else the same.

If I just wanted to overwrite the parameter ‘id’ but keep the controller and action, I could do:

redirect_to :overwrite_params => {:id=>’234′}

Check out the :overwrite_params option here: http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActionController/Base.html#M000649

A leading provider of CRM solutions SCOUT has implemented a Salesforce.com offering (SPARQ Coder) that integrates our QR Code Generator API (QRGen) with Salesforce CRM applications. This free addition on the AppExchange allows Salesforce contacts, sales leads, and other personal contact information to be easily transferred from the computer screen to a mobile phone via a MeCARD QR Code.

MeCARD’s can be embedded dynamically to any existing webpage via a DHTML <IMG> tag that calls the QRGen API.  The rendering of the actual QR Code is in real-time and you gain the benefit of a dynamic barcode that is generated using the latest QR Code standard.  This simplifies the integration of any existing webpage to fully support dynamic QR Codes. QRGen is built with scalability in mind and is designed for integration with high volume sites that have lots of dynamically generated pages.

*UPDATE (1/19/2010) – We’re happy to update that we just found out this app was promoted as AppExchange App of the Week: on salesforce.com.

Links mentioned above
Scout Inc.
Salesforce.com
QR Code Generator API (QRGen)
SPARQ Coder – Salesforce AppExchange
AppExchange (App of the Week)

We recently discovered an interesting use of our QR Code Generator API (QRGen) for a Firefox add-on called Easy QR code.  It is basically a simple utility that allows you to quickly create raw QR Codes in the Firefox browser.  The codes generated in the browser can be easily downloaded or saved as a file locally.  This add-on was developed by megszokot.

Links mentioned above
QRGen API
Easy QR code (Firefox add-on)
megszokot (developer of Easy QR code)

MSKYNET is launching the new SPARQCode™ website that is fully dedicated to mobile consumers.  We have decided to spin off the SPARQCode site as a landing place for regular mobile users to discover and learn about 2d barcodes.  The MSKYNET site will continue be the home of our business solutions and we look forward to the many upcoming product launches and press releases that will be coming soon.

Links mentioned above
SPARQCode (site for mobile users)