I just came across another neat application on my N95. You can use the built in camera to scan barcodes! Well, they don’t really look like your traditional barcode, but the application is called Barcode. Nokias web site refers to these codes as Mobile Codes, so that’s what I’m going to call them. If you don’t have a code reader application on your phone already, visit http://mobilecodes.nokia.com/scan.htm. Nokia provides their code reader free of charge as well as links to third party applications that will work on more phones than just the N95. Keep reading for a full overview on how to read the barcodes with your phone, and create your own.

1. Once installed, choose Menu -> Applications -> Office -> Barcode



2. Now choose Scan Code and you will see something similar to the screenshot below. I really like the Knight Rider style indicator at the top of the screen!



3. Now aim your phone’s camera at the following Mobile Code



Your phone should pick up a link to http://simplehelp.net. Scanning codes directly from your screen work best if you’re using an LCD display. Your phone may have trouble reading the code if you’re using a CRT monitor. If this is the case, try printing the code first.

  


4. If you select the link, then choose to open it, your phone will automatically open the web browser and go to http://simplehelp.net

  

5. Ok, reading the codes are neat, but lets make our own codes now. Nokia has an online Mobile Code generator at http://mobilecodes.nokia.com. Click Create and accept the license terms, then you will see a page similar to the following:



6. Simply choose whether you want to make a Link, Plain Text, or a Business Card in standard vCard format, then start filling in the appropriate fields. Your Mobile Code is generated in real time in a box at the top, right corner of the page. You are also provided three choices for the size of the generated Mobile Code. I have been using the medium size in this tutorial.

   Once the code is generated, I prefer to right-click on the image and save it. You are also provided with the image as HTML-code, which you can paste into your blog or web page.

   The last choice you have is whether you want a Datamatrix code or a Quick Response (QR) code. I chose Datamatrix for these examples. Unfortunately the Mobile Code generator defaults to QR. From what I have read, more phones are capable of reading Datamatrix than QR. For more information about these two formats, see http://mobilecodes.nokia.com/learn.htm#dm