Port Townsend Film Festival Use QR-Codes

Posted: September 2nd, 2010 by Michael

We’ve been alerted to a video posted on YouTube where Janette Force, Executive Director Port Townsend Film Festival describes how scanning a strategically placed QR-Code on their marketing posters will enable smartphone users to watch 25 trailers of films.

We think it’s a good use of QR-Code marketing. We’ve not got our hands on a poster to scan yet, but let’s hope they have implemented tracking to decipher how successful the campaign was – Janette, if you’re reading this, we would love to have an exclusive on those stats.

Posted in On The Web | 1 Comment »

Google Chrome QR-Code Generator

Posted: September 1st, 2010 by Michael

If you love QR-Codes and use Google Chrome, im sure you’ll be delighted with a new Chrome extension that enables you to create a QR-Codes for a current page, selected text or link.

Having tried the QR-Code extension out briefly, we agree with the author and comments thinking it’s a perfect way for allowing you to quickly save links or text to your mobile phone without having to send yourself an email or SMS. You select a link, get your mobile phone out, scan the QR-Code for future use. One commenter suggested they use this method for their grocery shopping – a very innovative use by our standards.

Firefox Fans

Don’t worry Firefox fans, there is already a similar extension that achieves the same. Sorry Internet Explorer users, you’ll have to do without for now.

Posted in software | No Comments »

Changing the URL In a QR-Code

Posted: April 2nd, 2010 by Michael

Let’s say you work in a museum and you are looking to place a QR-Code next to every artifact that allows users to scan and learn more about that artifact. This could be achieved by creating a QR-Code containing a URL which takes the user to a mobile friendly version of the musuem/artifacts website.

Question

But, what if you need to change the URL contained within the QR-Code? How could this be achieved without changing the QR-Code itself?

Redirects

Well, you could consider making use of a redirect (commonly known as a URL forwarder).

First, create a vanity URL such as:

http://www.example.com/artifact-a/

Then have your web developement team have it redirected too:

http://www.example.com/indian-heritage/

Using our nifty QR-Code generator, create a QR-Code with the URL/redirect that you created and plan to manage e.g. http://www.example.com/artifact-a/

You could then place the QR-Code containting the redirect wherever you like. If your desired destination of the webpage or URL changes, you can then alter the redirect to reference the new webpages location; we have not changed the URL in the QR-Code, just the destination it redirects too thus solving our conundrum.

Posted in Questions and Answers | No Comments »

The Guardian’s Victor Keegan on QR-Codes

Posted: March 20th, 2009 by Michael

Victor Keegan from The Guardian has recently posted an interesting article about his experience with QR-Codes. From his article, he goes on to talk about how he used a QR-Code reader to scan the barcode of products in his local Sainsbury’s.

He highlights ShopSavvy, an Android based application that allows you to scan and compare products using their barcode. Remember CompareEverywhere (AndroidScan)? Both winners of Google’s Android challenge.

Quote: “One of the reasons barcodes haven’t taken off in the UK is that, whereas in Japan the dominant operator in effect imposed a standard, here different companies are peddling their own in the forlorn hope of sweeping all competitors aside.” Source: Victor Keegan

Personally, I could not agree more; if there was one major mobile phone manufacturer using one barcode standard then Europe may well have adopted to QR-Codes by now. Could Nokia achieve this? They do have around a 60% market share in Europe. Where does that leave the US?

Personally, local supermarkets is not where I see the benefit of QR-Codes or barcode scanning. I see barcode scanning becoming very useful if you plan to make a big investment in say… an LCD television; you could walk into a large retailer, size up the item, check out its spec then scan and compare for a cheaper price elsewhere. Most people say buying on the internet is slightly cheaper. Barcode scanning software could well cement this fact.

Posted in In The Press | No Comments »

QRBall – The ‘Alternative’ Paintball Experience

Posted: February 25th, 2009 by Michael

Twitter is a great source for QR-Code innovations and news. Recently while doing some research, I came across Twitter member stoop_uk and his idea to combine QR-Codes with paintballing; QRBall.

The Idea

You get a number of users with a QR-Code reader on their mobile phone.
A area of warzone is set out.
All users wear a T-Shirt with a QR-Code printed on it.
You then have to go around capturing everyone’s QR-Code with your mobile phone.
If shot, the QR-Code decodes on the users device and sends a text message to the person you shot advising them they are out the game.

Genius if you ask me. Simply another great innovative idea for using QR-Codes. I wonder if anyone has anything like this going in Asia?