- Temat jest pusty.
- Wpisy
You might have seen these recently in various places, you might have heard people discussing them in the arena of mobile and wondered exactly what the heck they may be. Quick response codes (known as “QR” codes) are a very convenient way to display a small bit of information that is quickly scanned and processed typically by mobile phones allowing physical items to almost become interactive, by providing information that is easily scanned like a website URL.
To make a simpler analogy, almost all people have an understanding of Universal Product codes (known as UPC codes). Everything you buy at the food store (and almost any store right now) has one of those that the cashier will scan. The computer then immediately knows just what the product is according to the code that it picked up.
Does anyone remember the days of grocery shopping as well as the cashier had to punch within the prices and codes for every single item you purchased. They had to memorize many of these in their head and if they forgot? They had to pick up the loud phone, make an announcement in the store asking for somebody in that department to help them out.
Think of qr code service codes as UPC codes but instead they’re used in a significantly broader spectrum, not simply to ‘identify’ products but to convey ‘information’ of some kind.
The most basic (and popular use) of Quick Response codes is to display website information (a site address). Lets say you’re at a trade show and you’re walking by my booth. You want to find out further information about my company, so you open your smartphone and start fumbling away trying to type in certain long URL (which is on my display) into your browser, and off you go.
The additional option could be for me to display a QR code (on my display), you take your smart phone and scan it much like cashiers scan items at the food store, and your smart phone automatically starts loading my website, how is the fact that for convenience?
What about billboards outside on the street, or bus shelters while waiting for public transit. You can place these little codes anywhere. Individuals with free scanners on their own phones (iPhones, BlackBerrys, Androids, Nokia, etc.) can quickly scan the code and find out more information, like opening up a website.
Whole Foods Market (popular within the US/Canada) uses these in their stores. I was recently sitting down to have a bite to eat at the one in Yorkville Toronto, as well as on the table where I was sitting was a table tent with two Quick Response codes. It was obvious where they would take me if I scanned them, one would take me to their Twitter account, and the other would take me to their Facebook page.
If I was enthusiastic about checking out their Twitter or Facebook page, rather than opening up each respective app and going to the search function and typing within their name etc. (I likely wouldn’t, too much effort) I could pick up my phone, scan the QR code and automatically open each page!
