New: Barcode Studio Creates Mobile Tagging QR-Codes with Shortened URLs

Data List with Shortened URLs

Version 12 of TEC-IT's barcode maker software will be released shortly. This post introduces the built-in URL shortener capabilities of the Barcode Studio update.

The new URL shortening feature provides 3 main benefits:

• Dramatically Reduced QR-Code Size
  URL shortening means squeezing a long URL into a shorter one. This is important when creating mobile tagging QR-Codes for vCards, meCards, SPARQcodes, etc. With URL shortening you reduce the amount of data to be encoded. Smaller, better readable, easier-to-share QR-Codes are the result.
• Free QR-Code Traceability
  URL shortening providers like Google (http://goo.gl) and Bitly (http://bit.ly) offer simple and free tracking features. More on this below.



Data Import Assistant

• Batch URL Shortening
  The data import assistant of Barcode Studio is able to shorten thousands of URLs with a single click.

Shortened URLs

You are not familiar with shortened URLs? Let me give you an example: A typical URL looks like this:

http://www.tec-it.com/software/barcode-software/barcode-creator/barcode-studio/Default.aspx

In total this example URL requires 91 characters. By shortening this URL you will get the following results:

• http://goo.gl/fnBby
  (when shortened with Google's URL shortener service http://goo.gl)
• http://bit.ly/c1ZTRO
  (when shortened with http://bit.ly)

The shortened URL requires only 19 (or 20) characters and still points to the same target URL. Just try it out by clicking on them!

QR-Code Tracking

A shortened URLs provide an easy way to analyze the usage of the codes. Whenever a shortened URL is used to visit a web-page the shortening provider tracks this event. It does not matter if the user scanned the code with a smart phone, simply clicked on it in a twitter status message or entered the shortened URL manually into the address bar of the browser. At the time being both providers offer publicly visible tracking statistics for free.

For Google's shortener service you get the tracking statistics by simply adding ".info" to the shortened URL: http://goo.gl/fnBby.info. When using Bitly just add the plus sign: http://bit.ly/c1ZTRO+

Privacy notice: Take care - the tracking statistics are usually publicly visible to everyone!

Free Release Candidate Downloads

A free pre-release is available for Barcode Studio on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Check it out!

Download Barcode Studio for Microsoft Windows

Download Barcode Studio for Mac OS X

About TEC-IT

Secret QR-Code

TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH provides high quality software in the areas of bar-coding, barcode extensions for ERP systems, label and form printing, reporting and automated data acquisition. TEC-IT products are available for all major platforms, thus customers benefit from complete and versatile software solutions for all possible requirements. The company is located in Austria / Europe and can be reached via www.tec-it.com.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Update! Barcode Maker Software for QR-Code vCards and More

vCard Data Import

Check out this post to learn more about the new features of Barcode Studio V11.6.

With Barcode Studio you quickly create high-quality bar code images for pre-press requirements and desktop publishing applications. More than 100 different linear and 2D codes are supported by this software!

The new release focuses on bar-code creation for mobile tagging with vCard and meCard QR codes and provides enhanced label printing features.

Features and Enhancements in Detail

QR-Code vCard Assistant

• Mobile Tagging
  2D codes for mobile tagging are now using the lowest possible error correction level. This minimizes the size of the generated barcodes.
• Intelligent Data Import
  It is possible to import predefined data formats for vCard, vCalendar, meCard, etc. in a structured way. This is especially helpful for mass-creation of business card bar-codes.
• Copy Counter for Label Printing
  The user can specify how many identical copies of a single label should be printed.
• ISBN / ISSN / ISMN
  The data assistant now makes it easier to enter codes in ISBN, ISSN, and ISMN format.
• Pixel Shaving
  For 2D codes like QR-Code or Data Matrix, the pixel shaving algorithm was improved.
• Appearance
  The appearance of several dialogs was improved.

Bug Fixes

• Label preview crash was fixed.
• The check for the bar code sizes was improved.
• Fixed the wrong display of the number of errors in the data list.

Free Trial with 10 Days Unlimited License

Demo downloads are available for Mac OS X and for Microsoft Windows. Check them out today!
Barcode Studio for Mac OS
Barcode Studio for Microsoft Windows
The above downloads are FINAL releases (as of 07/25/2011) - have fun!

About TEC-IT

TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH provides high quality software in the areas of bar-coding, barcode extensions for ERP systems, label and form printing, reporting and automated data acquisition. TEC-IT products are available for all major platforms, thus customers benefit from complete and versatile software solutions for all possible requirements. The company is located in Austria / Europe and can be reached via www.tec-it.com.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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"Tag it Easy" - vCard and meCard QR-Codes!

A new version of the barcode creator software Barcode Studio is on the way!

What’s New?

Barcode Studio V11.5 introduces a new data input assistant. This special feature simplifies the creation of 2D codes for mobile tagging and electronic business cards (so-called vCard and meCard barcodes) dramatically.
With Barcode Studio V11.5 you are able to create more than 100 different linear, postal, GS1 and 2D barcode symbologies. The barcodes can be printed on simple labels or exported as bitmap or vector image files. Batch barcode creation with external data is supported.

2D Codes for Mobile Tagging

vCard Data Input Assistant

vCard and meCard QR-codes are used to encode contact details of a business card (like name, address, email, phone-number ...) in a 2D barcode symbol. When scanning such a barcode with a smartphone (camera and suitable scanner software is required of course), the data is automatically entered into the address book of the phone. No manual typing or copy/paste is required.

Try it Yourself - Scan the Code!

vCard and meCard barcodes encode the contact details in a certain format. The new data input assistant of Barcode Studio takes care of the right formatting. In order to create readable barcodes you just enter the contact data (see screen shot) and Barcode Studio creates the correct code. You do not need to know the details.

In addition the above mentioned vCard and meCard codes, Barcode Studio allows you to create 2D codes for mobile tagging applications. Currently supported are barcodes for sending text messages (SMS), phone calls, Twitter tweets, Facebook likes and profiles, LinkedIn contacts and profiles, Wi-Fi access and events (vCalendar). In future versions of Barcode Studio this list will be extended as appropriate.

GS1 DataBar - Application Identifier Support

GS1 Application Identifier Assitant

Users of the GS1 DataBar or GS1-128 barcode symbologies benefit from the data input assistant as well. Barcode Studio provides a searchable list of the available application identifiers (AIs) and ensures that the rules for a correct GS1 barcode are met. Application identifiers are used to designate the encoded data. More than hundred AIs are in common use (e.g. AI 10 designates the LOT number, AI 11 the production date ...). Barcode Studio also takes care to separate multiple AIs in a single barcode with the Function Code 1 (FNC1).

Download Pre-Release

Coming soon! Use these links to download the release candidates (BETA!):
Barcode Studio for Windows
Barcode Studio for Mac OS X

Video

Questions or Suggestions?

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Simply write us an email (support@tec-it.com), give us a call (++43 7252 72720, time zone GMT+1) or visit www.tec-it.com!

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Free Online Barcode Generator - Choose from 60 Barcodes!

The popular free online barcode generator of TEC-IT got another upgrade! The list of supported bar codes was recently extended with the following symbologies:

• ISBN (barcodes for books, International Standard Book Number)
• ISSN (barcodes for periodicals, International Standard Serial Number)
• ISMN (barcode type for media like CD and DVD, International Standard Music Number)

In total TEC-IT's online bar code service creates 60 different barcode symbologies. To name just a few of them: Code 128, Code 2 of 5 Interleaved, Code 39, Code 93, EAN, UPC, EAN/UCC 128, GS1 DataBar, Pharmacode, USPS PostNet, Royal Mail 4 State,  Aztec, CodablockF, DataMatrix, MaxiCode, MicroPDF417, PDF417, QRCode, MicroQR, etc.


Barcodes are generated as raster image with adjustable resolution. Just select the required symbology, enter the bar code data and generate your code! This service is completely free, no registration is required -  all you need is your browser!


Besides this, the barcode generator is  available in the following languages:

• Chinese - 免费在线生成条码
• English - Generate Free Barcodes Online
• German Strichcodes online erstellen! Kostenlos!
• Italian - Genera gratis codici a barre online
• Spanish - ¡Cree gratis códigos de barras online!
• Russian - Бесплатный онлайн генератор штрих-кода
• Turkish - Barkodu canli üretin! Bedava!
• French - Créer des codes barres en ligne!! Gratuit!

Try it yourself - online barcode generator!

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Free QR-Code Badge for Web-Masters

Interested in adding a "Create QR-Code Badge" to your web-site? If yes - please read on!

TEC-IT has enhanced it's bookmarking and sharing add-on for web-sites. Besides the "traditional" sharing services for Facebook, Twitter, Digg, StumpleUpon, SlashDot etc. this web-control now generates and displays a QR-Code encoding the URL of interest.

Such an URL QR-Code can be read with camera-equipped smartphones. The bar code decoder application on the phone forwards the user to this URL immediately - without keying in the URL manually. The bar code looks cool and can be shared via email, via MMS, by embedding it into arbitrary artwork - or simply by printing it.

Get in touch with us if you are interested in this QR-Code Badge. It will be available for free if you provide a backlink to www.tec-it.com.

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QRCode Mobile Marketing in Austria

In Japan more or less every square-millimeter of space is covered with QR-Codes. Japanese companies are using the 2D codes for marketing purposes as well as for really useful applications (e.g. public transport schedules with ticketing possibilities).

In Austria this technology is arriving very tentatively. The printed version of an Austrian newspaper (www.derstandard.at) is publishing ads of an European car manufacturer (I think it is Renault or Peugeot). These ads contain a 2D code. When scanned with a mobile you will be forwarded to some stylish web-page. Maybe I am able to upload a picture in the near future.

Another example of "trying" out this technology is Austrian Airlines (now part of Lufthansa). They are giving away stickers (see picture) with some slogan and a QR-code. When decoding them you will be forwarded to the booking page.

I assume that this specific marketing campaign is just a test-run. The slogans are not bad, but they do not provide enough information what to expect. So I am wondering how many people are scanning these stickers. Austrian Airlines should think about a small hint (or better: a fare reduction) to attract more users of this technology.

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Mobile Barcode Reader Applications

Because we receive numerous requests for available mobile bar-code reader applications we list some free barcode decoders . Please note: The list is not complete and it is not a recommendation. If you think a reader application should be mentioned in this list please let us know! We would be glad to maintain the overview regularly.

Barcode readers we have tried ourself:
Beetagg Reader: http://www.beetagg.com/
Kaywa Reader: http://reader.kaywa.com/
QuickMark: http://www.quickmark.com.tw/
i-nigma Reader: http://www.i-nigma.com/i-nigmahp.html
Neo Reader: http://www.neoreader.com/
Barcode Scanner "ZXING" for Google Android: See Android Market

Other readers (incomplete)
UPCode: http://www.upc.fi/en/upcode/instructions/download/
Reader: http://mobile-tagging.blogspot.com/2008/07/readerdownload.html


Also check out this overview: http://www.qrme.co.uk/qr-code-resources/qr-code-readers.html

Hope this helps!

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QR-Code Tags in Action

The site www.mobyware.ru tags its download pages with QR-Codes created by the web-based barcode generator of TEC-IT.

This QR-code tags makes downloading and sharing of software really easy: Just decode the barcode with reader software for your mobile phone (e.g. barcode Scanner for Google G1) and navigate to the URL which is encoded in the symbol.

Never type URLS again ;-)

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Micro QRCode

We are especially proud of the product TBarCode. Due to it's advanced features this bar code generator SDK is in use in countless applications and systems worldwide. One of the highlights of TBarCode is the complete bar-code support. TBarCode generates and prints virtually all linear, 2D and GS1 bar codes in common use.

The upcoming version 9 of TBarCode adds (beside various extensions, bug-fixes and improvements) again some new bar code symbologies. But I'll point out a new 2D barcode symbology added to V9 which is named Micro QR-Code.

The support of Micro QRCode was implemented because of customer requests. The "mother" symbology is named QRCode and is supported by TBarCode since years. QRCode is currently used in industrial applications (mainly in Asia, Japan) and for mobile tagging.

Micro QRCode is a variant of QRCode and focuses on encoding a small amount of characters in a very restricted space.

Below you can see a comparison between Micro QRCode and QRCode. Both symbols encode the same string "TEC-IT":


Micro QR Code


QR Code

Release candidates of TBarCode V9 are already available - if you are interested just let us know (get in touch with us via www.tec-it.com).

Please let us some weeks before the new version of TBarCode will be online. In addition it is planned to add Micro QRCode to TEC-IT's online barcode generator.

P.S.: If you are interested in a currently unsupported bar code symbology - just let us know. We will hear your voice!

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