Smartpox, which is currently in beta, is a social site that allows users to share URLs, email addresses and phone numbers in the real world. The data is converted into a "smartpox code" (aka QR code) which can appear on posters, stickers, business cards and other real-world items. The codes can then be read by cameraphones running the J2ME Smartpox reader. The site also builds some social features around the codes, allowing you to create a profile, find users and codes in your locality and leave comments for other members. But strangely, there's no social networking element - you can't add users to your friends list, for instance.
An example use case might be a band promoting its latest single: you upload the song to your site, create a code for it, then print the code on your promotional posters and flyers. Fans who see the code can point their cameraphone at it to hear the track. Alternatively, you might just want to promote your page on MySpace Music - many bands already do this by printing their MySpace URL on concert posters (yet another advantage of clean, customized URLs).
The concept makes a lot of sense, although it isn't exactly new. In fact, all these systems suffer from a serious chicken and egg problem: there's no point in creating a code unless a decent number of people have the reader, and there's no point in getting the reader unless there are plenty of codes around. So while Smartpox is a forward-looking idea, I don't see it taking off in a big way.
