QR Codes - what are they? who are they? where do they come from?
Have you used a QR Code?
Do you know what they are and how to use them?
What are they?
- First, do you know what a barcode is? it's simply a font which can be easily scanned/read by a computer
-- here's a barcode:
-- here's a QR code:
- Now, what's a QR code? - a QR code is simply a "more complicated" barcode, the result is you can get more information into a relatively smaller space, there are some other technical benefits/features too, but don't worry about that for now
How do I use QR codes?
Personally, I find them quite useful and use them from time to time, some examples:
* HK Tramstops have QR codes which you can scan to find the next 3 arriving trams
* The Octopus app has the ability to scan a QR code to facilitate payments
* Sometimes I want to share a link from my desktop PC to a phone, I use a QR Code generator extension in Chrome and then scan it on the phone/tablet
On Android, I use the app called "Barcode Scanner" - there are plenty of others available, but this one works and I'm happy with it