RE: Accessing Mobile Sites

To respond to Scott's original request for comments :

What about using good old T9 recognition with a customized "URL"
dictionary ? This dictionary could be seeded with the usual suspects
(http:, .com, .net, etc. as well as common sites such as CNN, Yahoo,
etc.) and then could be added to by the user.

>-----Original Message-----
>From: www-mobile-request@w3.org 
>[mailto:www-mobile-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of ext Gerhard Fasol
>Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2005 1:31 PM
>To: Scott Weiss; www-mobile@w3.org
>Subject: Re: Accessing Mobile Sites
>
>
>Scott:
>
>Some of what you write is correct, some is wrong.
>I'll make some comments below.
>
>Scott Weiss wrote:
>> 
>> Gerhard, thank you for sending the information on QR codes. It is an 
>> interesting solution to the problem of entering URLs on 
>mobile phones.
>> It reminds me of the failed Cue Cat technology from the 
>early 2000's: 
>> http://cuecat.com/ Cue Cat attempted to solve the problem 
>identically, 
>> and it failed quickly and expensively for its founders.
>
>No, Cue Cat is not identical to QR codes at all.
>QR codes are far more sophisticated than bar codes - no 
>comparison, not identical at all.
>
>For that reason the QR code company is a success.
>
>> QR codes are simply 2-D bar codes that require new handset hardware 
>> and software (and licensing fees to the patent holders) to allow 
>> scanning,
>
>no: your statement only partially correct - partly wrong.
>
>> analysis, and conversion to a URL. 
>
>no. QR codes do much more than just conversion into an URL.
>
>> This technology is useful for
>> tracking product inventories and scanning purchases, but is less 
>> appropriate for entering URLs.  I do not think that this 
>technology is 
>> well-suited to mobile web site URLs,
>
>That's what you think. Can you give reasons? Have you ever tried it.
>
>The reality is that QR codes are very well-suited and in great use.
>
>> but strongly prefer the ability to
>> enter a numeric code with a signifier such as star ('*') or 
>hash ('#').
>
>That is your personal choice, but not the choice of the 
>Japanese market.
>
>> Furthermore, QR codes are primarily useful in close-proximity 
>> situations such as print advertising. They are less useful or not 
>> useful at all in outdoor advertising, broadcast, etc. A star or hash 
>> code could be read by an announcer, displayed on a television or 
>> outdoor ad, or sent to others by email or SMS. Star or hash 
>codes can 
>> also be made mnemonic as I mentioned in my initial posting.
>
>star and hash codes are not an alternative to QR codes. QR 
>codes are here to stay in Japan in addition to other ways of 
>input. If your hashcode method has merit it will coexist with 
>QR codes. If it does not have merit it will be replaced by 
>something else - plenty of alternatives to the hashcodes exist.
>
>> With a star or hash code, there is the possibility that the operator 
>> could implement back-end software to reply to the call with a 
>> connection via the browser, enabling existing handsets to access 
>> mobile sites without upgrading handsets.
>
>That needs a network connection. QR codes do not need a 
>network connection and are therefore much faster and much more 
>versatile
>
>
>> Please comment on this possibility if you understand the back end of 
>> the operator's call processing.
>
>You don't need any for QR codes.
>
>For more details see:
>http://www.eurotechnology.com/store/qr-code/
>
>Hope this helps,
>
>
>Gerhard
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Gerhard Fasol, PhD                          Eurotechnology Japan K. K.
>http://fasol.com/                       http://www.eurotechnology.com/
>g.fasol@ieee.org                              fasol@eurotechnology.com
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>> At 06:58 PM 9/14/2005, Gerhard Fasol wrote:
>> 
>>> In Japan QR-Codes are used for quick access to websites with mobile 
>>> phones. If you go to Japan, you'll find QR codes everywhere, see:
>>> http://fasol.com/blog/2005/07/qr-codes-everywhere.html
>>> ...
>> 
>> 
>>> Scott Weiss wrote:
>>>
>>>> This thread is meant to be a discussion about accessing mobile web 
>>>> sites from phones.
>>>> Entering URLs into mobile phones is problematic at best.
>>>> ...
>>>
>>>
>>> Scott Weiss
>>> Principal, Usable Products Company: usableproducts.com 
>(212.929.8599) 
>>> Author, "Handheld Usability": handheldusability.com
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>
>
>--
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Gerhard Fasol, PhD                          Eurotechnology Japan K. K.
>http://fasol.com/                       http://www.eurotechnology.com/
>g.fasol@ieee.org                              fasol@eurotechnology.com
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>

Received on Thursday, 15 September 2005 17:42:56 UTC