What is a QR code & why you should know by Todd Lucier on January 24, 2009 2D Bar Codes, sometimes referred to as QR codes (quick response) look like the black and white speckled image. They will become an important tool for those looking to grow business with the web-aware cell phone toting traveler. “91% of cell phone users keep them within one meter, 24-7.” ~ Mary Meeker, Web2Summit QR Tags don’t need to be a dominant part of a design of an ad or brochure. Small QR codes can be put on signs or packages in indiscreet ways. For tourism industry, it isn’t a question of whether or not QR tags will create visitor engagement. It’s more a question of who will be the winners in QR travel by innovating and creating new experiences that make use of QR technology. There are opportunities for new enriched tourism product development, marketing, packaging, projects and more.
•location by location guided tour with maps •link to mobile handset versions of Web sites •location specific web-hosted audio guides •podcast links so visitors can watch current video or hear current audio news from your podcast feed. •special offers and promotions on print advertising or rack cards •en route traveller entertainment •links to online handheld-ready rich media content •virtual concierge •cell phone enabled adventure tours and trail guides •links to toll free planning assistance •community walking / heritage tours •support for advertising by placing QR codes in print advertising •get feedback or stimulate interaction with your guest, letting them contribute text, photos, audio, video and more to your Web presence. •encourage travelers to write reviews on Web sites such as TripAdvisor by providing direct link to the appropriate pages. •link to translations of Tourism Info for guests who don’t speak your language
Tourist City Guides with QR Codes
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Bidibooks in Spain have published the first two QR Coded city guides in their multilingual Urban Visions range. London and Paris will be followed shortly by New York, Rome, Barcelona and Berlin.
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For example the page in the Spanish language version of the London Guide showing Camden Town Market has a QR Code that resolves to YouTube mobile Camden Town in Spanish.
http://www.bibloworld.com/epages/61560601.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61560601/Categories/Bidibooks
Currently about 70 different types of barcodes and their specific versions exist and are mostly in use in the field of logistics. In terms of mobile tagging, the number of codes is essentially restricted to a dozen types. For reading out 2d-barcodes it is essential to install specific software, a reader, on the mobile device. The reader uses the camera of a mobile phone for the mobile tagging process and is available free for downloading for non commercial use from UpCode [2](i.e. included for a free download in Nokia phones), NeoMedia [3] and 3GVision [4]. The producers of the reader are very involved in developing solutions to increase the number of compatible mobile phones. Most services on the corresponding websites offer the download directly onto the mobile device or PC. In addition, many providers offer the user a generator for creating their own codes. Due to the absence of a standard code, the readers are faced with the same problem. On the one hand there is a remarkable number of readers which aren't able to identify barcodes apart from their own proprietary codes. On the other hand there are several readers which were created to read out non-proprietary code, these 'open source codes' are the most used for Optical Reading with Mobile like the QR Code and the Data Matrix. However, a QR code is always 60% larger than a DataMatrix code and this tends to mean that DM is the primary code used in packaging and enterprise solutions for example.
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Commercial tagging Commercial tagging includes the use of multi-dimensional barcodes, especially in the fields of mobile marketing and advertising. Showcases in this context are additional information on products (e. g. the nutrient content on hamburgers), direct downloads (e. g. free ringtones, clips or mobile games) and the direct link to a specific site of a company. Particularly in the field of commercial tagging it is vital for the code to be able to be branded (= it is possible to integrate a logo in the code). It is hard to convince people to use this technology.
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[edit] Public tagging In terms of public tagging, barcodes serve as a hyperlink to additional information on public information carriers. This information may include maps, customer reviews or other non-commercial advice.
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[edit] Private tagging In view of private tagging, personal motives come to the fore. Besides the opportunity for creating direct hyperlinks on blogs or profiles, it is possible to participate immediately in online auctions (e. g. barcodes on cars with ebay hyperlinks). Furthermore barcodes allow services like saving data automatically in the contact list of mobile phones by scanning a code printed on business cards. In addition to a higher user friendliness, private tagging offers novel opportunities for selfpresentation.
Outside, in a café, a mobile handset camera is pointed at an advertisement, poster, leaflet or beer-mat. In just one click, the user arrives at a webpage designed specifically for that location. No struggle with the navigational systems of mobile websites; no wait – just the instant fulfilment of the user’s needs. The spontaneity of the response encourages an internet connection there and then; the internet content is relevant to the precise time and location of the user; the advertiser can track exactly which piece of paper generated the user response – and the mobile handset has enabled a trouble-free and relevant experience of the web that is potentially more useful to website provider and user alike. And of course, the mobile industry benefits from increased usage of the internet over mobile handsets. Sarah is closing a face to face conversation with a potential client. She takes the client’s card and reads the mobile code on it with her phone, to store the contact details. There is no need for error-prone transcription. The contact details are on her mobile phone, exactly where she needs them to be.
QR codes [QR] (Figure 2) are already widely used in Japan in industrial processes and as mobile codes, and have been used in mobile code pilots in the rest of the world. They are an ISO standard. The variant of QR codes in widespread use are Model 2 (with some minor enhancements in the QR 2005 variant).\ QR codes have native support for the Kanji character set, and efficient support for all-alphanumeric data. QR codes currently support alphanumeric data capacities of up to about 400 bytes and binary capacities of up to about 270 bytes, in formats that are readable by handsets that have macro focus and resolutions of several megapixels. Such handsets are typical in Japan but represent high-end handsets outside Japan. The capacity is closer to 100 bytes of alphanumeric characters or 70 bytes of binary data when read by a typical camera phone without macro focus, but with resolution of one megapixel or more. The QR symbology supports error correction using the Reed-Solomon method. There are four levels of error correction, selectable according to the operating environment. The capability ranges from correcting about 7% of the data in a code, to about 30%. A quiet zone of at least four modules width is required around QR codes.
Data Matrix [DATAMATRIX] (Figure 3) is an ISO standard. We restrict our discussion here to the ECC200 variant of Data Matrix codes, which are widely used in industrial processes and have already been used as mobile codes in several pilots. Data Matrix, like QR codes, uses the Reed-Solomon algorithm for error correction. Data Matrix codes have a redundancy of approximately 33%, which ensures a good trade-off between code efficiency and correction capacity. A quiet zone of at least one module width is generally needed around the 2D barcodes, as shown by the following examples:
Максимальное количество символов, которые помещаются в один QR-код: Цифры – 7089 Цифры и буквы (включая кириллицу) – 4296 Двоичный код – 2953 байт Иероглифы – 1817
Наибольшее распространение в настоящее время получили стандарты Data Matrix, изобретённый в 1989 году, и QR-код («Quick Response», т.е. «Быстрый отклик»), разработанный в 1994 году Японской компанией Denso Wave Inc. Ключевое отличие QR над Data Matrix — умение работать с кана символами японского языка. Штрихкод Data Matrix, в свою очередь, на 30-60% меньше по площади, чем QR, содержащий идентичные данные.
Небольшие метки на памятниках и достопримечательностях города могут содержать ссылки на их подробные описания, не портя при этом общий внешний вид. Этот принцип лёг в основу проекта www.semapedia.org. Этимология простая: Semacode + Wikipedia = Semapedia. Статьи свободной онлайновой энциклопедии решили «привязать» к объектам, которые в ней собственно и описаны. Эта идея понравится самостоятельным путешественникам, ведь при таком подходе можно существенно сэкономить на экскурсоводах и путеводителях. Индивидуальные экскурсии теперь стали ещё свободнее и информативнее.
http://semacode.com/documents/best_2d_code.pdf Data Matrix vs. QR Code Data Matrix and QR Code are both 2D barcode formats available as open standards. Data Matrix was designed in 1989, and standardized by partners including NASA, US DoD, and major industries such as electronics, pharma and postal marking. Although QR was developed later (1994) by Japanese company Denso, it had only one unique feature, to easily encode Japanese kana characters. Although Data Matrix is now used in Japan, QR Code has never seen any significant use outside of Japan. The independent CEA committee states that Data Matrix is the most widely implemented matrix symbology.4 Standards-based barcode formats have clear superiorities over proprietary formats: • the designers are known experts; • the technical specifications are available; • there is wide-ranging industry support; • there are multiple vendors; and • there is guaranteed data capacity. Thus both Data Matrix and QR Code, as standards, are superior to the proprietary formats. Comparing Data Matrix and QR Code, Data Matrix has additional advantages: • Data Matrix is 30% to 60% more spatially efficient for encoding the same data,
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Bordeaux, France is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has more protected buildings than any other French city except Paris. However this has not stopped Bordeaux City Hall from having one of the largest public administration QR Code roll outs in the world. The so called Digital City Project involves the City Council putting QR Codes on their own street furniture including access control points and 600 parking meters. The Codes allow the visitor in Bordeaux to get 24 hours a day on-demand access to World Heritage information about the streets and monuments of the City. More QR Codes and more content are planed, including shortcuts to smart Google Maps to find shops, services or parking places to “ideas of the day” or headline news of the City. More experimental uses such as QR code for “Flash Votes” in public consultations are also under development.
QR code
Data Matrix www.tec-it.com
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www.bcgen.com kaywa.com generator.beetagg.com www.i-nigma.com mobilecodes.nokia.com
qrcoder.ru
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QR code
Data Matrix DataSymbol[9] Windows, WM, Symbian, iPhone
BeeTagg[10] - J2ME, Symbian, Android, WM, iPhone, Bada Kaywa Reader[11] - Java, Symbian I-nigma reader[12] (затруднения со скачиванием программы) — Java, Symbian, Windows Mobile QuickMark[15] - PC, Windows Mobile, Symbian
The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism are using QR Codes in posters (image below) to link visitors to scenic driving routes that compliment the advertisements. QR Codes are in the process of being added to all of the Department’s promotional material including brochures, tour guides , adventure guides etc.
http://reader.kaywa.com/
What is the Kaywa Reader? The Kaywa Reader is a 2D Barcode Reader to install on your mobile phone. Once installed, you can scan 2D Barcodes and the content of the 2D Barcode is then immediately resolved on the phone. 2D Barcodes (QR Code, Datamatrix) can hold several types of information: an URL, respectively a mobile site's address a SMS message a phone number any kind of text an email address The URL is certainly the most interesting type of information which can be encoded. After scanning the 2D Barcode, you get a connection to the mobile site.
How does the Kaywa Reader work? Launch the application on your phone then you hover over codes (QR Code or datamatrix). The camera of your phone scans the code and when it can read it, it immediately shows you the response. Mobile site example:
What are QR Codes? QR Codes (= Quick Response Codes)are 2D Barcodes (two dimensional Barcodes) developed by Denso and released in 1994 with the primary aim of being easily interpreted by scanner equipment in manufacturing, logistics and sales applications. In comparison with other Barcodes, QR Codes combine several advantages: they can hold a very large capacity of numbers or letters in any language their printout size can be very small they offer high speed reading they can be read from any side (omnidirectional or 360째 scan) Japan, the first country with a highly developed 3G network and high usage of the mobile internet, was also the country where telecoms like NTTDoCoMo and KDDI achieved a breakthrough by bringing QR code readers to mobile phones. By installing QR code readers on consumer phones, if was suddenly possible for everyone to create and read QR codes and to connect easily to mobile sites. Today QR Codes are so pervasive in Japan that it's almost impossible without seeing one. You can find them in advertisements, mobile campaigns, on maps, in magazines, on billboards etc. and nobody want to miss them anymore. In that sense the QR Code revolution is comparable to SMS. It's an easy and simple tool, the cost of the connection to a mobile site is below the price of an SMS and
For further information: QR Code site of Denso Wave Examples of QR Codes in Japan: Stamps with QR Codes Tokyo Metropolitan Government and QR Codes MYSQ: Video Booth with QR Code Taiwan uses QR Codes as a standard QR Codes on Business Cards Giant QR Code in the streets of Tokyo Feed your pet with a QR code QR Code Tatoo How can I create my own codes (QR-codes or datamatrix)? You can go to qrcode.kaywa.com and datamatrix.kaywa.com respectively, where you can create as many codes for your personal use as you want. If you want to use QR Codes for a commercial purpose, you should however get in touch with us. We provide enterprise services like shortcodes (numbered QR Codes), statistics as well as an API (application programming interface).
QR Code Reader Software For your phone to be able to read QR Codes you will need to have QR Code barcode reading software installed on it. The following sites offer the option of downloading via PC and then transferring to your phone, or visiting with your with your smartphone via browser for direct download and installation. Some also have the option of setting the application up on your phone as a device bookmark. •I-Nigma - Probably the most popular decoder/reader application and works on most of the popular phones. (Supported Devices) •Optiscan - Probably the best QR Code scanner for iPhones •QuickMark - Designed specifically for Windows Mobile and Symbian devices and pocket PC's. (Supported Devices) •Kaywa Reader •Jaxo Systems - Runs on most Java-enabled phones (Supported Devices) •Active Print - Pretty much just Nokia series 60 camera phones only •Nokia Reader - For the Nokia N80 series, but a few of the N90's as well. •Google Zxing - For the Android and iPhone plus quite a few others, but not Windows Mobile devices •SnapMaze - QR code reader for Nokia, Sony Ericcson and Motorola phones (Supported Devices) •Red Laser - The award winning iPhone barcode scanner, but only for old style 1D codes •NeoReader - A good range of phones and mobile devices (including iPhone and Blackberry) and also available as AppStore download. (Supported Devices List) QR Code Software & Applications •Bar Capture - Capture and decode QR Codes from your computer screen •Online Decoder - Decode QR Codes online via direct image file URL or image download •Wordpress QR Code Plug-In •InDesign CS3 QR Code Plug-In •Firefox Mobile Barcode Add-On •Facebook QR Codes application •QR-Code Tag - Google Chrome QR Code Plug-In
Add them to any print advertising, flyers, posters, invites, tv ads etc containing: product details contact details offer details event details competition details a coupon Twitter, Facebook, MySpace IDs a link to your YouTube video Increase reader circulation and link to blogs Mobile barcodes are used to easily access the web URL of a story a reader is interested in and even, send it to their social sites such as tweeter to be read by a wider audience. Similarly, barcodes are used to link a story to relevant blogs. This gives readers more information on the reported topic and also the ability to provide their own feedback.
Enrich and Enliven Content Content providers use i-nigma to add digital, multimedia content to create richer content like interactive museum exhibits, multimedia book content and even real estate flyers. Similarly, publishers use mobile barcodes to promote content and advertising. For example: Breaking news alerts and headlines/news updates/video news Video clips to accompany relevant stories (news, sports, movie trailers, music etc.) and also product or service Audio clips related to a story, product or service Pictures related to a story, product or service Easy access to content: recipes, tips, jokes, riddles, horoscope, games etc. Bridge Offline Media to Online Media Connecting printed content to the mobile internet enables publishers and content creators to offer readers interactive mobile experiences with content anywhere, in real time 24/7/365. For example, publishers have the ability to send readers to menus of reviewed restaurants, buy a ticket to a concert, or send them directly to a map of how to get to a particular event reviewed in the newspaper.
The following requirements must be followed to ensure your mobile barcode will work effectively: Barcode size - Minimum 2cm x 2cm. At this size, a barcode can hold up to 60 characters. The barcode size increases as data contained within the barcode increases. White space surrounding the barcode - for best results, we suggest at least 4mm. of white space around the barcode. Need to illustrate this with graphics. Scanning distance - A 2cm x 2cm barcode can be scanned from 10cm away. To scan over further distances you will need a larger barcode. Display surface - For optimal results, it is recommended to display the barcode on a flat surface. Medium - barcodes can be displayed on a variety of mediums including newspapers, magazines, packaging, posters, plasma/LCD screens, T-shirts and business cards.
www.i-nigma.com http://www.qread.mobi/ http://analytics.percentmobile.com/device _qr_code_readers/
http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/
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At some time or another almost every tourist in Paris will have used the free map published by Europe’s largest department store Galeries Lafayette which is widely available at airports, hotels and tourist offices. For the latest edition mobile marketing agency Nexence have included QR Codes resolving to mobile specific websites they have designed for CinÊaqua and the Center of National Monuments (user agent detection means you may not see the mobilized version on your PC).
http://m.wroclaw.pl/?cmd=ShowSlide&id=1&guide_id=1
Plan a Tour with Playing Cards The Tourism Association of the historic coastal town of Hagi, Japan have produced a deck of playing cards as an aid for tourists in planning their tour. Each card has an image of a local historical site, product, historical figure or event and a QR Code that resolves to more information on the relevant card’s topic and suggested tour routes.