


How can a T-shirt link to a website? Simple: you put a logo on the shirt that a cellphone camera can recognize. Then, when someone snaps a picture of the logo, the phone automatically calls up the site that person has chosen to advertise. It could be your MySpace page, Facebook profile, blog — whatever. Cool, right?
Well, sort of. The company behind this idea, W-41, has a lot of hurdles to overcome if they're going to pull this off, the first being simple awareness. People would have to care enough to get the software on their phones, and there'd have to be enough people with logos on their shirts to make it worthwhile.
But as a concept, this is a decent idea for integrating the online world with the real one. It would get more traction if one of the big social-networking sites partnered with W-41 for a public push, possibly with things like treasure hunts that strategically put logos in public places. That might get a lot of people involved quickly, as long as they take down the prices of the shirts, too. Fifty bucks for a T-shirt is crazy no matter what it does.
By Valdis at 4:22 PM ON 10/28/08
CueCat anyone?
By Whomiga at 6:01 PM ON 10/28/08
Buttons would be great if they could have them. (If they made the display system public - not just the reader, anyone could make a round button - well, with a Badge-A-Matic or similar system)
By Dvice Reader at 6:22 PM ON 10/28/08
If fifty bucks is crazy for a t-shirt, what about $45 for a Tim Sale Art t-shirt instead?
http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/detail.php?p=75594
By nonya at 7:23 PM ON 10/28/08
Looks strikingly similar to QRcode to me, which is everywhere in japan, korea, ect. Look up nutritional info at stores, find out about a upcoming concert, and of course your contact info on business cards and the like. I wish it became more popular in the west.
By dunno at 7:25 PM ON 10/28/08
too bad they already use that kind of tech in japan
By Unique Gift Ideas at 1:20 PM ON 10/29/08
Well, is it really so bad that we're trying to use the tech here in the U.S, regardless if Japan already does or not? The U.S. needs to establish themselves as a slugger in the tech industry! If we fail to do so, things will only start getting worse off for us.
By The Manta Dude at 12:01 AM ON 10/30/08
When will we see things to do for free again ... Kapitalism only wants u to pay , but what do we gain . if i want info about a person i'll ask ...
The Manta Dude:
When will we see things to do for free again ... Kapitalism only wants u to pay , but what do we gain . if i want ...More »