Could replace the talky-guide things, but ideal tech is not here yet.
In fairness to Nokia, they're at least evaluating the technology in a real setting, and nobody's got to pay for it except them. Some exhibits do need their commentary to make sense (and I'm not making a jab at conceptual art here, I'm thinking of historic monuments, or objects that are famous by association with events, rather than for themselves).
I reckon there's a benefit here for something, either via QR codes or via NFC , that links to containing the commentary audio. Thing is, I don't think either of these is the right technology.
The disadvantage with QR codes is that to successfully grab them, phone cameras often engage the flash, which is not a good idea in some environments. If a museum is kept dark, it's precisely to stop damage to sensitive artifacts by UV light.
NFC isn't a bad solution, but still requires you to get very close to the plaque or sticker.
The best technology for this is probably in-building location services. Knowing what you're standing in front of, an application can automatically give you the commentary. Or better yet, can tell you what you're passing as you walk along a corridor. If you've ever visited a place the size of the British Museum (or for the techies, the Deutsches Museum's Technology exhibition in Munich), you'd appreciate something like this.
This has already been done outdoors: visit Culloden battlefield (in Scotland), and the mobile-guide thing uses GPS to do locate you, and give you an explanation of what you're looking at.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
