Ketai shopping is a snap

[Taro Toporific]

E-shop by snapping with a camera phone: Japan
CNETAsia /Wednesday, July 30 2003 10:02 AM
... announced technology that allows camera-phone users to buy a product just by snapping a picture of it.
The firm, Mediastick Inc, licenses its 'MS-Mark' bar codes to e-tailers taking part in the scheme, according to Nikkei Electronics News.
The phone user then snaps an image of the bar code, which can be displayed next to an image of the product in a magazine, newspaper, TV commercial or even Web site, said the report...
...designer of the Mediastick system, was quoted as saying that the system has promise as it does not require new technology, such as phones with radio tag readers.
... high-end phones are capable of the one-megapixel resolution required to capture the bar codes in sufficient image detail. However, such phones are expected to become more widespread in Japan in the coming months. The system will go on trial in September with subscribers of mobile operator NTT Docomo...

[GomiGirl]

But soon the phones IR port will be able to read barcodes anyway... seems a bit of an ass-about way of shopping...