The QR Code is a two-dimensional barcode created by Japanese company Denso-Wave. The codes were originally designed for tracking parts in vehicle manufacture, but with the growth of mobile phone technology in Japan the codes soon found new and unexpected uses. In Japan QR Codes regularly appear on business cards, newspaper adverts, posters mail-order brochures and websites with over 70% of the population having used them.
What Information Can a QR Code Hold?
The most common use for QR Codes today is holding website URL’s. In Japan it is common for posters to have QR Codes linking to a company’s product information on their website. Due to the codes design there is a great deal of flexibility on the data they can hold, for example they can hold all the details of a business card, booking details for a train ticket, map locations for a GPS system etc.
Where Can QR Codes Be Used?
QR Codes can be used on anything where a photograph can be taken using a mobile phone. They can be sent by fax, read from a TFT computer screen, even read from giant posters.
Who Is Using QR Codes?
QR Codes are mostly used in Japan where some of the world’s largest corporations continue to find new uses for the barcodes. McDonalds currently attach QR Codes to all of its meal containers and some of its posters in Japan. As mobile phone technology improves QR Codes are beginning to spread to other parts of the world. Giant posters for the film 28 Weeks Later appeared around London in 2007, The Pet Shop Boys latest album features QR Codes in the artwork but most significantly the latest European versions of Nokia mobile phones have built in readers as standard.
Can My Mobile Phone Use QR Codes?
Not all mobile phones are capable of using QR Codes, but an increasing amount are. A number of third party software companies provide QR Code software for mobiles including the Google Zxing reader and the Kaywa Reader.