If you are bamboozled by those strange boxes of
black and white pixels that seem to be cropping up on packaging and
billboards across the country, then you are not alone, but what exactly
are they?
Well
it is called a QR code, and QR stands for Quick Response. It is a 2D
barcode which is able to be scanned by a smart phone camera or other QR reading device and it sends the user to a specific website. QR codes
were invented in Japan and have been popular over there for a number of
years before migrating to Europe and now they have started to appear all
across the United States.
In
the simplest terms it is a hypertext link in printed form, just encode a
URL link into the QR code and then by pointing a smart phone camera at
it that already has a QR code reader app installed, it will whisk you
off to that URL using the internet browser on the phone.
However,
it is not just limited to websites, a QR code can also contain
information such as a SMS message or phone number or email address, and
the device that scans it will automatically use whatever application it
needs to handle the data correctly.
The
clever thing about a QR code that sets it apart from the more standard
one dimensional barcode is that it is a lot more versatile. Not only
does a QR code hold hundreds of times more data than a traditional
barcode, but it can be scanned in any direction. The QR code can be
upside down or placed on a curved surface but thanks to its internal
calibration orientation and self-alignment markers the information still
gets through.
QR
codes are going to be the big advertising and marketing took for many
years to come and because they are inexpensive and versatile they are
ideal for small businesses. QR codes are appearing with more regularity
on billboards, and bus shelters and on flyers than ever before and it is
a great way to get people to your website without the hassle of typing
in the full web address on their phones web browser.
