Microsoft Tag for smartphones and iPhone

According to Microsoft, tags create unlimited possibilities for making interactive communications an instant, entertaining part of life.

QR Code, Datamatrix code, Microsoft tag (Credit: Started Something)

They transform physical media (print advertising, billboards, product packages, information signs, in-store merchandising, or even video images) — into live links for accessing information and entertainment online.

This is all possible after installing some software and using your smartphone's camera, which in turn allows you to interact with these 2D multicoloured triangles in forming a square-like bar code (HCCB format). But unlike traditional tag readers, MS tags don't store the information, but a unique ID that it sends to Microsoft's servers. This allows much more information for both sides. The user can receive current information and the vendor/publisher can get a tally of how many times it has been scanned. You can even create a tag.

The software is free and available for download via your mobile smartphone browser at http://gettag.mobi/. We've come a long way from the old-fashioned black and white bar code.