

Shark Tank pushes "Scan" App to top spot in App Store - iambateman
http://allthingsd.com/20131012/whats-a-shark-tank-appearance-worth-a-top-spot-in-the-app-store/?mod=tweet

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shawnreilly
I think both Mark and Kevin made some really good points. I find the Sensor vs
QRCode debate pretty interesting. There are pro's and con's on both sides. I
agree with Mark that the sensor (or sensor like) User Experience is much
smoother and more natural than scanning QR Codes. The time investment is
lower, and it's just plain easier for consumers to understand / use. However,
sensors have a physical proximity requirement (aka range). What if the
consumer is out of range? Another potential issue for sensors; The automated
nature of sensors creates a potential for excessive push abuse. Just imagine
your phone beeping every time you walk past a store in a mall and you can't
stop it from happening. There are other issues that affect both Sensors and
QRCodes, such as security. If I remember correctly, I think a few people
experienced this at Defcon (scan the QRCode, infected with malware). Same
could be said for sensors (hypothetical of course, but imagine a sensor
pushing malware to you automatically?). These are or will become real issues.
I think Kevin had some good points about the Business Model, it was pretty
unclear to me as well. If fact, I didn’t even know it was a paid app until I
read this article. And even then, I think investors prefer a reoccurring
revenue model over the one-time payment. Anyway, very cool for them, and I
wish them success. My only gripe with the whole thing was the Design. Maybe
it's because I'm a Designer, but I was not impressed at all by the Design.

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iambateman
Yeah their landing pages leave a lot to be desired. I haven't seen the app
directly.

The UX of a QR code is a disaster. Stand back, hold up your phone, DONT SHAKE.
It's annoying.

But then there's the issue of having QR codes all over our products. Do we
really want another UPC code making our stuff look horrible? I don't.

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wikiwatchme
A friend of mine was on Shark Tank last season and they got mocked by the
sharks for their poor business. Nevertheless, they were able to sell the
entire company soon after the show aired, all due to the exposure.

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iambateman
Is QR code reading really going to be a thing? Can we please figure out a
better way to interact with phone<==>world than to force data through the
camera?

Maybe Bluetooth LE.

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coherentpony
I'm totally with you. QR codes are awfully cumbersome to interact with. If
phones had an infrared receivers that might be another option.

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slash-dot
Some phones used to have infrared receivers and they sucked. The bandwith was
awful and establishing a connection required multiple attempts at keeping the
phones steadily next to each others with the receivers/emitters facing each
other. Even the camera is way better than that. Bluetooth or nfc might be more
promising though.

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jeffehobbs
Apple's "Beacon" technology is way more interesting than QR codes.

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iambateman
I very much agree. Trying to find out more about Beacon, but there isn't much
out there.

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t0
He didn't even want a deal. Shark Tank has become free advertising for some.

