One of the really cool features in BlackBerry Messenger 5 is the ability to add new contacts by scanning a barcode (QR Code, Mobile Tag) using the camera in your BlackBerry.  As many of you that have downloaded the leaked version of BlackBerry Messenger 5 know, scanning a new contacts information is significantly less cumbersome than manually entering it in.  What you may not have known is that the barcode scanner in BBM 5 scans more than just contact information.

I remember thinking when I first heard about the barcode scanner in BBM 5 that it would it would be nice if it worked on more than just BBM5 contacts.  Apparently developers  at RIM thought so too because  the barcode scanner in BBM5 is probably the best QR Code reader, or, mobile tag reader, as they are commonly referred to, that I’ve seen for the BlackBerry.

The nice thing about scanning mobile tags in BBM 5 is that it uses the auto focus feature of your BlackBerry’s camera to adjust automatically until it can read the mobile tag that you are trying to scan.  This allows you to scan tags of different sizes and that may away from you at a distance.

Knowing that a good mobile tag reader will soon be available to BlackBerry users in an application that millions of them user regularly makes me think that RIM will play a big part in making mobile tags popular in the United States.

BlackBerry Messenger 5 is still not officially available, however, you can find plenty of OTA links to the leaked version here.