Mobeam launched as ‘beam-to-redeem’ barcode solution on Samsung Galaxy S4

 

Throughout its Galaxy S4 launch event, Samsung kept touting one new feature after another. It tackled language translation as well as remote control functionality, along with a host of other interesting hardware and software niceties. One thing that wasn’t mentioned was the fact that the Galaxy S4 also comes with an intriguing new feature: mobeam. It offers a unique way of beaming barcodes onto regular laser scanners.
Mobeam, the company, is in the business of light-based communications, and the way that its product works is through carefully blasted “pulses of light” that somehow present laser scanners with fully-working barcodes. These, in turn, could then be used to redeem all types of things such as coupons, loyalty cards, gift cards, and more.
At the moment, mobeam seems to be launching exclusively with the Galaxy S4. However, Samsung is not Mobeam’s only partner. It has also partnered with Proctor and Gamble (P&G) to come up with a full mobile coupon system. Mobeam has also promised that it will release the mobeam API to developers very soon. When that happens, anyone with access to it will be able to create Mobeam-enabled mobile apps that will allow for increased adoption.