The most popular matrix code is a QR Code, created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The “QR” is derived from “Quick Response”, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. QR Codes are common in Japan, where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional codes.

QR Codes are used in a broad context, including both commercial tracking applications and convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any object that users might need information about. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code causing the phone’s browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks. Users can also generate and print their own QR Code for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR Code generating sites.

I always thought that every Nike ID shoe should come with a Matrix Code for anyone to be able to scan it and launch the exact configuration to recreate it.

The latest addition to data mobility is the Audio Barcode: data embedded in sound waves that’s picked up by target devices with a microphone — mobile phones, for example –, analyzed by special software, and then extracted.

Data to be transmitted is superimposed (embedded) by Acoustic OFDM, the technology behind Audio Barcode, in such a way that it is not detected by listeners. With a transmission rate greater than 1kbps, a URL or simple text transmission takes a mere one to two seconds.

This technology has many uses… from being able to append artist urls to every song, dynamically embed DRM information, or even combine this with audio/visual such as movies to allow sending out product information on specific scenes without having to display or affect the video at all… Just think how much information can be embedded everywhere with all these techniques… I already use 2d Barcode applications on my iPhone and I can’t wait to install an Audio Bar reader.

Nico Nico Douga is one of the most popular video sharing sites in Japan. The very unique feature they have is that users leaving comments on videos appear in an overlay in real time. This allows comments to be timed to certain aspects of the video adding relevant thoughts at the appropriate time. Some users have even used it to add sub titles to their video.

I think this is a great addition. I’ve been watching YouTube for some time waiting for a comparable feature to appear. I’m suprised they haven’t tested even a prototype to see if western culture makes this as much as phenomenom as the Japanese did for Nico Nico Douga.

Now with all of that said - try and watch this video of some kind of Ronald McDonald from hell without your head exploding…. Ah, I love Japanese culture.

PS - Recently I found a new guitly pleasure. It’s a Japanese game show called Ninja Warrior that they are airing on G4. It’s basically the hardest obstacle course I’ve ever seen. Only one guy has beaten it in the 14 seasons of the show. I strongly suggest watching it - even my girlfriend finds it amusing. If nothing else listening to the announcer in Japanese makes my day.

The two I’d really like to share, and I hope they get your imaginations going involve a video wall revolving around interactive water and a new holographic 3D technology that will leave almost any crowd with their mouth open.

The first project by Mark Burton of Northumbria University’s Design School.

“Mark’s ‘Waterboard’ uses the mixed media of new digital display technology with traditional pens and erasers to encourage creative thinking about the natural progression of the earth’s water supply. It is a large, interactive installation that gives the user a chance to play with flowing water without getting wet, and consists of a wall-mounted white opaque board (2.2m x 8m) with four projectors and four cameras providing back-projection and detection. The sound of running water enhances the visuals. Several users can play at once, and can use the tools provided to draw or erase objects to try to control the flow of the water. The concept is playful, yet educational. The water will follow its own course, whatever the intervention. Abstract life forms may appear in some areas of water and where the water is stagnant it will become cloudy and discoloured.”

Click “Read More” to see the second example and my thoughts.

The video demonstrates some technology from the company Arena 3D. I’ve done some research on several of these firms and I’m most impressed with what I’ve seen here. Quite a few brands have used this technology and a comparable technology (Musion) was even used for a Gorrilaz peformance at the MTV music awards a couple of years ago.

The real question for us as marketers, and in some cases technologists, how do we apply these in more innovative scenarios than have been done before. How do we create compelling pieces that engage consumers, excite the media, and in a best case scenario create an extended shelf life in the online space.

Why shouldn’t we make a version of the interactive wall for Vitamin Water (Coca-Cola) or a interactive 3d holographic display that allows people to play football between London and NY during the world cup.

The future is for those that have courage - take hold of these initiatives and don’t regret it when your competitors beat you to market and you’re reading about their success.

Internet publishing networks and other entities have ways of analyze browsing behavior and click-streams of every connected workstation. Every time you open a site, click through another site, search for a product or service, click on a banner or paid search keyword, … every time you do any of those things, someone is watching, logging, and analyzing. You might think it is invasion to privacy; I used to think so too. In reality, they don’t know your identity and they store all behaviors anonymously. Is it bad, awful, a crime? Not really, all they’re doing is improving your browsing experience. The fact of the matter is that if an advertiser buys an ad space, you are going to see it no matter what, but wouldn’t you like of it at least to be relevant? I would. There is no escape, so we better just accept it. To take it a step further, these entities even know to differentiate multiple people sharing a computer in a household by behavioral trends. They will know the difference of dad, mom, little sister, and little brother by the time of day and group of sites they usually visit.

Let’s take the same principle outside, to the real world. Imagine a billboard or posters with tiny cameras that analyze the people walking through. They know who looks, how much time they spend on it, and by facial recognition they even know the age, sex, and ethnicity of the viewers. Imagine if they could record all these data and use statistical information to display targeted ads to demographics by location and time.

Let’s take this last idea a step further. Imagine if these billboards and posters had the ability to store the frequency of your mobile device and capture the fact that you might be interested — this frequency is called RFID and all mobile devices emit it. Imagine if all billboards are connected into an intelligent grid, know if you’re approaching them by following your signal around, and show you direct targeted ads.

Everything I mentioned is either being done or coming. It is rather scary I might say, but none of it is captured against an identity; at least for now, though the scary part is that it could be with minimal modifications.

Let me get it started with a few thoughts on behavioral targeted advertising.