Microsoft has rolled out its first Android application, to
go alongside its small stable of iPhone apps. The company has released an Android
port of its Tag
app, which allows users to access information stored in its special
barcode format.
It’s a bit like a QR code, but smaller and able to store more
information. You just point your phone camera at it, and it’ll read the
information contained within. This can be used in magazine ads, posted,
as coupons, or even as badges, to share information among different
people.
Google and Microsoft haven’t exactly got on in the past, but it’s
more than likely that Microsoft’s push to get its format accessible on
every smartphone around has superseded any animosity. There are Tag
clients available for iPhone, Windows Mobile, J2ME, Blackberry and
Symbian S60 phones. If you want to get hold of the app on Android,
search in the market for "Microsoft Tag Reader". It’s free.
