If you’re not up on anything that’s happening in the digital world, you probably haven’t peeped QR codes.
Although you’ve probably seen these weird squiggly things on business cards, flyers or maybe even the last time you went shopping at Macy’s, it probably escaped you that these little boxes were the wave of the future.
What is a QR Code?
Well Wikipedia describes a QR Code (short for Quick Response) as a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.
The QR code above was generated using a free online QR code generator. To see what’s encoded, you’ve got to:
1. Have a QR reader on your phone. If you’ve got an iPhone, I recommend QRReader. *Download it to your device.
2. Open your QR reader on your device. If it seems like you’ve turned on your camera, it’s ok. That’s what’s supposed to happen.
3. Point your camera at the QR reader until it’s centered on the screen.
4. Watch the magic happen!
You can do really cool things with QR codes beyond simply sharing your information.
For example, you can launch a video, send text, trigger an SMS or direct viewers to a URL.
Here are a few more that I think you’ll enjoy:
In this example our QR code launches a video on Vimeo of a short film produced by Firststar Films/Viral Cinema for Black Box a custom accessories boutique in Tribeca.
Although this is just a sample, QR codes can generate real SMS/text messages, delivered right to your phone.
QR codes can trigger much more sophisticated actions, beyond simply opening a URL or driving simple text messages. In fact Google’s mobile Android operating system incorporates QR readers natively into it’s architecture, allowing it to trigger more complex processes.
Brands are only starting to flirt with QR codes in the States, but I project that as they start to proliferate, you’ll find more exotic and innovative things being done.
I hope this has been instructive, and feel free to reach out to me if you’ve got questions on QR codes, mobile, apps or whatever!
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Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thank you so much, However I am goig
through troubles with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason whhy I
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Thanx!!
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Right now it sounds like Drupal is the preferred blogging platform
out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
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WordPress is actually what’s powering a majority of blogs today. And that’s what this site is built using.
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Hello! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?
I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on.
Any tips?
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Kristopher, if you’re using WordPress, here is a link to a plugin you can check out https://wordpress.org/plugins/bulletproof-security/
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This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have
found something which helped me. Thank you!
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Everything is very open with a clear clarification of the
challenges. It was truly informative. Your website is useful.
Thanks for sharing!
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Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment
but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr…
well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just
wanted to say wonderful blog!
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Stephen I have been using the ZXing Generator, but haven’t been able to get the SMS feature to work. All I’ve done is enter my cell phone number into the Generator with a short message, but I haven’t received a text back to my cell phone. Any suggestions?
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Joe, The ZXing generator doesn’t send you an SMS message to your phone. It will show any user who points their phone/QRCode Reader at the code the SMS message, with your phone number as the originator, such that they can text you back directly. You’d use it to initiate interaction with a user who would invariably see your call to action (CTA) with the SMS message, and presumably respond by texting the number in the SMS directly. Have one of your friends point their phone at the QR Code and then text you once they do. That’s the interaction you want using SMS as the target.
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