Tag Your World With Stickybits

Stickybits is an app for iPhone and Android that allows you to literally tag the real world objects around you and create a digital history or story around them. It works by scanning barcodes. You can scan any existing barcode that you might find on anything from a can of soda to a pack of cigarettes. You can also download images of barcodes for printing or order packs of 20 official Stickybits barcode stickers for $9.95 a piece from Amazon (free shipping in the US). The app itself is free, though.

Once you’ve scanned a barcode, you can attach a message to it. A simple concept, but the possibilities are endless and things could get very interesting. You could add a barcode to your business card that links to your resume online or LinkedIn. An artist could attach a link to their website or digital downloads from a barcode on their CD. You could stick a barcode on the back of your family photos to add a description and maybe link to the digital versions of the photos.

Each barcode becomes it’s own discussion thread. The first user begins the thread by scanning the code and adding some type of message or media. Whoever comes later and scans the same barcode will see the original message. They will also have the option to extend the conversation by adding their own message. Each message is geo-tagged so that you can not only see What happened, but Where it occurred.

There is also a social aspect. You can follow individuals and see what’s going on with their objects and locations. You get notified whenever someone scans, moves your object, or adds a message to it. Integration with Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare allows you to login via Facebook Connect and post your updates to all three services. Of course, Foursquare integration also lets you check in at the physical location where you’re scanning the barcode.

Go get the app. Buy, download, or start scanning some barcodes. Once you run out of ideas, hit the Stickywiki to spark new ones. There are so many interesting things you can do with this. Not only providing a history or story for objects, but also in interacting with others and participating in global social games. I’m keeping my eye on this one.

About the Author
Rahsheen has been a certified geek since before it was the thing to do. He started programming and tinkering in the 4th grade. Now, Rahsheen mostly writes on various sites about technology trends in social media and mobile. . He is also a musician, singer, rapper, writer, and producer. @rahsheen - +Rahsheen Porter - coachrah.com
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