QR Codes bring mobile device users onto the Internet quickly and efficiently. QR Codes can be used to store web addresses, MP3 files, telephone numbers and email addresses.
Users with a mobile device equipped with a QR reader application can scan the image of the QR code to display text or contact information to connect to a wireless network, or to open a web page.
QR codes may appear in magazines and books, on signs, on buses, on posters, on business cards and t-shirts to name a few.
QR code stands for Quick Response Code.
Types of QR codes
A music video of The Pet Shop Boys for their song Integral includes many references to QR Codes throughout
The QR code system was invented by Toyota's subsidiary, Denso Wave. Its purpose was to track vehicles during manufacture: 1994
QR codes have been used and printed on Chinese train tickets since 2010
The Royal Dutch Mint issued the world's first official coin with a QR code to celebrate the centenary of its current building and premises: 2011
A Japanese stonemason announced plans to engrave QR codes on gravestones, allowing visitors to view information about the deceased: 2008
QR Codes can hold up to 7,089 characters compared to the typical barcode that can hold a maximum of 20 digits
In 2012, the QR Code won a prize in the Media for Industry category of the Good Design Award*
The act of linking from physical world objects to your mobile device is termed hardlinking or object hyperlinking
Use any of the QR code generators available on the Internet to create your own QR codes to create a link to a website, email addresses or other information.
Search Google as follows:
To download a QR reader to your phone, open your app store and search 'qr reader'.
A few examples are:
History of QR Codes - history (and future!) of QR codes
2D-Code - a useful blog keeping you up to date with 2D barcodes
Denso Wave - the original creators of the 2D barcode
MC2 - the mobile codes consortium
Wikipedia - a wiki article about QR Codes
Google's ZXing Project - a Google Android application for decoding barcodes
Barcode Generator - QR Codes, Data matrix, Aztec, MaxiCode among others
Journal collection
The physical copies of journals subscribed to by the Unisa Library are kept on level 4 in the library. Many of the journals are now available in electronic format. The physical journal collection is supplemented with QR codes to give access to the online version of the journal.
Interactive books
An interactive book that uses QR codes was purchased by the Library. QR codes appear on every page to open contextual video, sound, maps, blogs, chat, etc. on your mobile device. Reading this book is an enriched and interactive experience:
