Thursday, June 21, 2007
Appropriating Technologies - The Library
Technologies are often designed for a particular purpose, but can also be put into other context for unintended use. One of the upcoming technology that would be coming to our libraries soon would be the use of 3D barcodes to provide library users the ability to use their mobile phones to record which books they need to find in the shelves.
Another use in the academia domain is the use of 3d barcodes applied in electronic retrieval of documents. This can be in form of displaying a 3d barcode in library listings which after using a mobile to capture, will download the PDF document to the phone.
Another idea is the use of 3d barcodes to book a movie or download a song. Lets propose a scenario in which after using your phone camera to capture the 3d barcode from either a bus station advertising board or magazine ad, you are directed to a catalogue to choose which song to download or which theatre you want to watch that movie (and also provide the option of viewing a trailer) after selecting it, you can use your mobile phone to download the song, or buy the movie ticket.
By providing an easy way to generate 3d barcode allows the technology to be appropriated and put into context of unintended uses.
Another use in the academia domain is the use of 3d barcodes applied in electronic retrieval of documents. This can be in form of displaying a 3d barcode in library listings which after using a mobile to capture, will download the PDF document to the phone.
Another idea is the use of 3d barcodes to book a movie or download a song. Lets propose a scenario in which after using your phone camera to capture the 3d barcode from either a bus station advertising board or magazine ad, you are directed to a catalogue to choose which song to download or which theatre you want to watch that movie (and also provide the option of viewing a trailer) after selecting it, you can use your mobile phone to download the song, or buy the movie ticket.
By providing an easy way to generate 3d barcode allows the technology to be appropriated and put into context of unintended uses.
