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Show HN: A Hand-Drawn QR Code Alternative

meshtag.com

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Re: Show HN: A Hand-Drawn QR Code Alternative

#31

Post by anonova »

samfpetersen wrote: post #23
lost_name wrote: post #18

Why does the app require a Google+ login? What needs verification?

I used Google+ so that you wouldn't need to create a user id / password. Each tag that you create is "owned" by you, and you probably wouldn't want other people to edit it (though there is an option to "unlock" a tag so that they can). It doesn't user your Google+ info, it's just for verification

For creation and updating, I can see why you would want to authenticate and authorize users, but there should should still be a way to have the app go into a read only state if all I want to do is scan.

Re: Show HN: A Hand-Drawn QR Code Alternative

#32

Post by mFixman »

gbl08ma wrote: post #3

Unfortunately, and unlike a QR code, the data is not encoded in the drawing itself, which means an Internet connection is always needed. For URL sharing the Internet connection requirement is not so much of a problem (you'd always need that connection for browsing to the URL, unless it's a local or data URL), for everything else it may be. Also, once the Meshtag service goes down or closes for good, all tags become i…

This is more like an URL shortener than like a QR code.

Re: Show HN: A Hand-Drawn QR Code Alternative

#33

Post by 542458 »

CPLX wrote: post #7

It's a confusing solution for a problem that does not exist, which is how to use a pen to draw readable shapes, a problem many of us learned how to solve in elementary school.[0] [0] http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/lette...

I could maybe see a use case around a human labelling objects for machine recognition, but that's not how the service is being marketed.

Re: Show HN: A Hand-Drawn QR Code Alternative

#34

Post by ryan-c »

cwmma wrote: post #21

> No. Unlike QR codes, meshtags of any color on any background can be scanned. There just needs to be enough contrast between the meshtag and its background, and the background must be a solid color. qr codes can be any color, just need to have enough contrast, also depending on the redundancy level of it you can actually omit a significant fraction of the qr code and still have it scan

You can take it up to 11 like this: http://files.rya.nc/qr.png

Re: Show HN: A Hand-Drawn QR Code Alternative

#35

Post by kefka »

As many have already discussed that this is akin to a URL shortener, and not stand alone (like QR is ), I have a different question.

Your app has in-app-purchases. Please provide examples how you are monetizing this?

Also, I notice you use a G+ identity to tie all codes to, yet your pictures shows "Anonymous" as creator. Is that really anonymous, or fakenonymous?

Re: Show HN: A Hand-Drawn QR Code Alternative

#38

Post by biot » 

  "A meshtag is a "drawable barcode" that you can create
   by drawing straight line segments at 6 different angles."
I count only three angles. The entire grid can be constructed via a series of parallel lines extending infinintely: one horizontal, one diagonal left, one diagonal right. There aren't any other angles.
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