danblog

Patching Things Up

// August 27th, 2008 // Technology

p8tch is an idea by John Young. You all know about QRCodes, right? They’re a two-dimensional barcode system that is super popular in Japan, and they look like this:

Each QRCode image can hold a small bundle of information, which can be quickly decoded and displayed, often by a camera-equipped cellphone. In Japan it’s often used for marketing, social networking, and of course, porn. A lack of support from US carriers and phone manufacturers has led to the QRCode never really taking root here in America. A number of phone applications have been released to read the QRCode, including a fairly decent one for the iPhone.

What John Young has done is begun selling patches customized each with their own unique QRCodes. The really cool thing about this is that the url that the patch’s code directs to is completely up to you. You could use it to link to your email address, flickr photostream, facebook profile, personal blog, or to a map. It’s a real-life anchor to the digital world. There are a handful of different patches to choose from, each with a unique logo such as this one: