QR Code

Have you heard of QR codes yet? Here is a quick introduction : 

What is a QR Code? 

QR Code ("Quick Response") is a mobile phone readable barcode that's been big in Japan forever, broke into Europe a while back, and is now getting traction in USA. They are used to take a piece of information from a transitory media and put it in to your cell phone. You may soon see QR Codes in a magazine advert, on a billboard, a web page or even on someone’s t-shirt.

Once it is in your cell phone, it may give you details about that business (allowing users to search for nearby locations), or details about the person wearing the t-shirt, show you a URL which you can click to see a trailer for a movie, or it may give you a coupon which you can use in a local outlet.

     

The reason why they are more useful than a standard barcode is that they can store and digitally present much more data, including url links, geo coordinates, and text. The other key feature of QR Codes is that instead of requiring a chunky hand-held scanner to scan them, many modern cell phones can scan them.

How does the cell phone read the code?

For your phone to be able to read QR Codes you will need to have a QR Code scanning app or QR Code scanning software installed on it.  For those without an iPhone or Andriod, some of the following sites offer the option of downloading via PC and then transferring and installing the software to your phone, or visiting with the website with your smartphone via its browser for direct download and installation. Some also have the option of setting the application up on your phone as a device bookmark.

ScanLife, Kaywa Reader , Scan For iPhone , Optiscan  are several of these websites.