| Why isn’t my phone on the list? |
| There are a great many different mobile phones currently in use, so we selected those phones that seemed best suited to this purpose, based on our user community’s experience and opinions. |
| Why isn’t my phone able to read the 1D codes found on products? |
| Only a certain number of camera phones are able to read 1D barcodes (also called EAN/UPC); they must generally be equipped with an auto-focus system.
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| What are the advantages of CodeOnLine over other barcode readers? |
| CodeOnLine is able to decode several types of barcode using the same interface. CodeOnLine supports barcodes standardized by GS1 (EAN/UPC and DataMatrix) found on consumer products, and supplies information directly approved by the brand.
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| What is the difference between a 2D code and a 1D barcode? |
| According to the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), the 2D code is a barcode (i.e. a graphic representation of digital or alphanumeric data). This representation can take the form of bars and spaces or dots forming a matrix.
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| Which products display GS1 2D barcodes? |
| These barcodes can already found on animal healthcare products, and in 2011 will be found on all medications. They also appear on posters and flyers, where they provide access to additional information.
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| Who manages barcode allocation? |
| GS1 France is the organization that allocates unique barcode series to French companies, designed to meet worldwide coding requirements. Each company then assigns a code to a given product listing in its catalogue.
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| How are product datasheets collected from manufacturers? |
| The trademark holder keeps descriptive information on its products and is responsible for authorizing the publication of this information by a third party via contractual agreement.
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| Where does the information provided by CodeOnLine come from? |
| CodeOnLine is connected to a global directory of a million companies using the GS1 standard. By default, it transmits the trademark holder’s name and/or its mobile service if this information has been entered into the directory.
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| Does CodeOnLine work with barcodes of companies outside of France? |
| Yes, CodeOnLine is operational in over 90 countries connected to the global directory of GS1 companies.
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| Why can’t certain barcodes be read? |
For 2D codes:
GS1 is working on standardizing barcodes for mobile telephones in order to prevent such problems for users. There are various explanations:
- DataMatrix is a global standard, but several syntaxes can be used to encode data in the barcode (ASCII, Text, C40). Since there is no global consensus on this question, only certain syntaxes are recognized by readers. CodeOnLine has chosen the ASCII format
- QR codes, which are widely used in Japan, do not yet meet the GS1 standard and are not recognized by CodeOnLine. However, this situation is on progress to be considered as a GS1 standard.
1D barcodes:
As of today, CodeOnLine does not recognize eight-digit GS1 barcodes. An update is underway, however, and should be operational in 2010.
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| Why doesn’t the application display content for certain codes? |
| The numbering of certain types of product is managed by other organizations (books, for example, use the International Standard Book Number or ISBN) or at local level (such as products sold by weight). CodeOnLine does not have access to this data. Bilateral agreement are possible to make it possible
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| Do I have to pay to generate a barcode? |
| No. CodeOnLine relies on royalty-free open standards, so their use is free, but the use of barcode series standardized by GS1 is subject to an annual membership fee.
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| What is an app (i.e. application) store? |
| The app store concept was popularized by Apple. Mobile phone applications are put online, where they can be downloaded from a single download point called a store. |
| How long does it take to download CodeOnLine? |
| That depends on your network connection; on average, the download takes10-30 seconds.
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| Do you have to pay to download CodeOnLine? |
| No. Downloading the service is completely free; connecting to the Internet, however, may require a special subscription from your mobile operator. |
