Casio has developed a method of transmitting data between smartphones or camera-equipped gadgets that does not require the presence of proprietary hardware. All it takes is for the requisite software to be installed on source and target devices, and information such as phone numbers, addresses or other contact details can be exchanged without having to resort to something as mundane as establishing a Bluetooth connection.

According to Jay Alabaster of Macworld, who saw a demonstration, data is transferred from a source device by drawing a circle--called a beacon--that repeated flashes a series of colors. Alabaster wrote: "The user receiving the information points their camera at the circle, and after a few seconds the colors are decoded and the data received."

The technology is similar to QR (Quick Response) but without some of its limitations. For one, a person can receive data from up to 10 to 15 sources at once. Casio says that the circular sending beacons should be a centimeter in diameter for each meter it is away from the camera. As such, there is much greater flexibility in displaying the smaller beacons on mediums such as TV, electronic billboards or on other public displays. In contrast, QR codes can only be read one at a time, and must typically be positioned to fill up the entire screen to work.

Casio considers the technology ready for launch and is currently working on how to use it.

For more:
- check out this article at Macworld

Related Articles:
Sony's paper-powered battery prototype demonstrated
Breakthrough: Lithium battery life doubled by NEC
Big power savings from Wi-Fi traffic-regulation innovation
Wireless speeds may double: Rice U. claims full-duplex breakthrough
Salt (yes, salt) could increase hard disk capacity by six times