Monday, April 20, 2009

QR Code Coolness

To read this blog post you'll need a QR code reader. If you've got a G1, you're in luck - just go to the Market application and search for Barcode Scanner install it. If you've got another phone manufacturer, then you might have to try harder. Check out ZXing and BeeTag.

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7 comments:

  1. isabelle1:08 AM

    I think QR Code is going to be so big in the North America now that more people are accepting of the fact that it's so useful. Recently launched a marketing campaign for my company, a roadshow, using a large QR Code that we created with www.beqrious.com and it was phenomenal!

    GREAT POST! Thanks~

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  2. Ben Simon8:03 AM

    Isabelle -

    I think you're right - it's just too powerful to ignore.

    Now, if Android, BlackBerry or even the iPhone came with a QR Code reader built in that would speed up the process more.

    Though, it did only take about 30 seconds to install the reader on my T-mobile G1, so maybe the masses will get to this stuff sooner rather than later.

    Congrats on the successful campaign!

    -Ben

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  3. NickC9:54 AM

    QR Codes are relatively old, they've been using them on advertisements in Asia for a long time... this said, yes I do think they will be coming to the US big time soon. Most new Nokia have built in readers and QuickMark brings the ability to most Windows based phones and the iPhone.

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  4. david10:32 AM

    ah, for the tech challenged common man, would someone please explain what QR codes are used for? Just a simple statement or something for us Ph.Ds who know little outside our world of T cells and B cells. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ben Simon12:30 PM

    Nick -

    You're right, QR Codes are fairly old technology.

    For me personally, I've either had a phone that could process them and no way to generate the barcode, or I maybe I had a barcode and no way to read it.

    But now, with the super simple app on my Android, and Google's Chart API - both the generation and reading of the barcode is simple.

    Which means, I should start pasting these all over the neighborhood...

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  6. Ben Simon12:34 PM

    Dave -

    QR Codes are a barcode, but unlike a UPC Barcode which stores a series of numbers, QR Codes can store text, like say a URL or a short message.

    QR Codes are also neat because you can write software to turn your mobile phone camera into a barcode scanner.

    So now imagine you've got barcodes that contain a phone number or website. You point your cell phone towards it, and it slurps it in.

    Or maybe you put a coupon code in one of these. People then interact with your advertising to get at the code.

    You could label various experiments and items in the lab with these bar codes and then read back the contents with your cell phone.

    Once you've got the code generation down and the cell phone software, it's just a matter of being creative.

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  7. Unknown3:44 PM

    David,

    This should help ..
    QR code news

    http://www.qrme.co.uk/qr-code-news.html

    QR code forum
    http://www.qrme.co.uk/qr-code-forum.html

    QR code readers
    http://www.qrme.co.uk/qr-code-resources/qr-code-readers.html

    QR codes explained
    http://www.qrme.co.uk/qr-codes-explained.html

    QR code social network
    http://www.qrme.co.uk/component/comprofiler/userslist/Recent%20visitors%20to%20QRMe.html

    QR code videos
    http://www.qrme.co.uk/qr-code-news/qr-code-video.html

    QR code slideshow
    http://www.qrme.co.uk/slideshow-overview.html

    About the QRMe service
    http://www.qrme.co.uk/site-overview.html

    Regards
    Ian

    ReplyDelete