Tuesday, September 6, 2011

ARE YOU PROPERLY CODED?

  Nearly everyone has a smartphone these days.  (You do have a smartphone, don't you?)  Besides the classic email applications, today's smartphones can do all sorts of things - surf the 'net, locate you, and run all manner of applications.


  One of the neat new applications that can be run on most smartphones are those that will read QR codes.  QR codes are the funny-looking two-dimensional bar-code-like images that are starting to appear on product labels and advertisements.  I've included an example at the right.


What can a QR code do?


  Since a smartphone is the primary device to read the codes, what would one use the codes for?  Well, most anything that you'd like to make available to the user's smartphone.  Here are just some examples:
  • a link to your website
  • a link to your demo reel
  • a brief set of instructions (about 4000 characters max)
  • a map location
  These are just a few of the possible things that a QR code can do.  If you go to this website you can actually generate the codes for a a variety of applications.

Where would you use the codes?

  I just started studying the QR codes recently so I haven't come close to thinking up all the things you could do with them.  

  If you look on the right column of this blog you'll see a code that, when scanned, will take you to the YouTube version of my demo reel.

 If you put one of the QR codes on your business card you could link to your website, or your demo reel, or a map showing your facility's location, for example.

  To provide the latest instructional video on how to use one of my pieces of rental gear, I put the label at right on the outside of its carrying case.  The renter can quickly call up video showing how the current version of operating software operates.  If updates are made to the software all I have to do is update the tutorial and the QR code label will remain the same.

  If you were sending out letters to potential customers you could include a code in the mailing that would call up a map of your location when scanned.  Or, you could include the QR code image in your Twitter tweet.


  Of course, the use of QR codes depends on whether the target of your codes actually have smartphones.  8-)  Only you can know for sure.

QR Code readers

  My smartphone is an iPhone.  The QR code reading app that I use on it is Scan.  It's free and seems to work well.  Android smartphone users can find a select of reader apps here.

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