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I just saw on the Windows Mobile Team Blog that recently the Microsoft Tag model got an upgrade.  It is very very very cool and was something I thought you might have an interest in.  I posted a story in January (Microsoft Tag – Linking real life with the digital world) when I first heard about it.  I found it to be very cool but now there are some very rich changes and the possibilities to come are endless.

Previously, a Microsoft tag had to be a square with a bunch of colored or black/white triangles. These tags could then be used in concert with a mobile application to easily link to additional content. This model was innovative, but it didn’t really allow you to relate your tag to the content it was associated with.

 

Now, you actually have a little more flexibility. A tag can make use of dots instead of triangles, which might not seem like much, but it really does lead to a better visual experience and open up more possibilities. Your first new option is to use the dot method and add a background image, such as this Viva Piñata one below. A slight improvement, but it’s definitely more relevant than just triangles. If you go to the Microsoft Tag website, you’ll be able to see both instructions for and examples of this method.

 

One example on the Microsoft Tag website that really emphasizes how much the dots can be made part of the image is the following jelly bean tag. I don’t know about you, but I struggle to see dots in this image.

Check out the full article here at the Windows Mobile Team Blog!

But wait, there is more!