Windows Live Barcode was a part of Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

's Windows Live

Windows Live

Windows Live is the collective brand name for a set of services and software products from Microsoft, part of their software plus services platform. A majority of these services are Web applications, accessible from a browser, but there are also client-side binary applications that require...

 services. It allowed users to transfer information between various media (PCs, billboards, magazines etc.) and handsets via Quick Response Code (QR Code

QR Code

A QR code is a type of matrix barcode first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white...

), a two-dimensional matrix barcode

Barcode

A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...

. It provided a method for people to exchange information and use various online services on handsets.

Windows Live Barcode aimed to enhance mobile handset utility and provide users with more convenience and flexibility. It was to be integrated with the Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...

 platform.

The Windows Live Barcode service consists of two elements:

• Online tools to generate barcodes for business contact cards or personal messages (450 character limit)
• A mobile scanning application to read QR codes into a Windows Mobile handset

Barcodes generated are saved as PNG images.

Features

• Encode text information such as news, notes and URLs into a QR Code and transfer onto a mobile handset
• Transfer information from traditional business card to a mobile handset by taking a snapshot via the Windows Live Barcode application
• Save the digital business card on the mobile handset's address book and allow the ability to manage contacts digitally
• Search and edit specific contact business cards scanned via Windows Live Barcode application

Windows Live Confucius

Windows Live Barcode was shortly taken offline following its beta launch in October 2006. In August 2007, an offshoot of Windows Live Barcode named Windows Live Confucius was launched. Windows Live Confucius, similar to Windows Live Barcode, allowed users to create QR Codes online from a web browser. In addition, Windows Live Confucius also allowed users to create QR Codes using an offline Windows application from their desktop, named Desktop QR Code generator. Together with the launch of Desktop QR Code generator, the QR Reader client was released as well for users to view QR codes on their Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...

 devices.

The Desktop QR Code generator can generate QR Code for any text, Vcard

VCard

vCard is a file format standard for electronic business cards. vCards are often attached to e-mail messages, but can be exchanged in other ways, such as on the World Wide Web or Instant Messaging...

, calendar and URL information. The QR Reader client, although designed for Windows Mobile devices, has only been tested on the Dopod

Dopod

Dopod is a Taiwan-based manufacturer of Windows Mobile smartphones, operating in the South East Asia and Australasia. Dopod International was founded in 2004 and it is now directly owned by the Taiwanese Windows Mobile device manufacturer HTC with over 50% of shares...

and not any other Windows Mobile devices.

External links

• LiveSide.net's Windows Live Barcode article
• Windows Live Barcode (currently unavailable)