QRious'r & QRious'r

I am finding all the hype by telstra about "their" QRious codes just a bit hard to stomach. I like the idea of these QR codes and have posted about them last year. Despite what telecom implies they are very late adopters of the technology, not creators of it. You don't even have to buy a new phone (or sign up for an outrageous contract). Ok these new 3G phones will have QR reader built in, but if your phone has a camera and web access you probably are ready to go. You just need to download some software. If you are with Telstra, and are happy with them  you can type in the tediously long www.mobius.telstra.com.au on your phone's web browser and if your phone model fits there current limitations, it will be delivered to your phone. Alternative there are free sites that provide generic downloadable readers, like i-nigma & Kaywa. [Also Quickmark, see deans collin's comments on this blog, he obviously has an interest in marketing qr codes.]

One final item you should consider is reviewing/including a mobile data plan onto your phone to avoid the outrageously high charge that most service providers charge on adhoc data usage, because the websites ,the QR codes connect you to, might put a heavy dataload onto your phone (eg downloading movie previews etc.)

The world of physical hyperlinks, or hardlinking, could totally reform how you use your phone and the web.

Thanks also to wolfcat, a twitter friend, for the heads up on this issue

What the heck is this?

It is a QR Code, a type of two dimensional bar code, which I heard described as a cross between a chess board and a crossword. on a recent BBC digital planet podcast. The really great thing about them, and why I bothered to blog about them, is that most new mobile phones, well the ones with cameras and web access, can probably already scan them and use them for instance connect to a web address.

Thats exactly what this one does, it is the URL (web address) of this blog, just point your cameraphone at the image, on the screen! and take a picture. The next step depends on your phone, (HINT: you may need to read its instructions), activate the QR CODE READER option and you will get taken to your phone's web browser and directly to this very blog site! On your phone, no difficult thumb and finger typing required!

If your phone doesn't have a QR Reader built in (most phones less that 2 years old will have it), but a camera you can download the free KAYWA Reader into your phone.

If you want to create QR Codes of your own, snapmaze is a simple on-line application. Not only web URLs can be encoded, simple text, addresses and contact details, the applications are pretty endless. The QR stands for quick response, and the process of linking directly to the web on your phone is now very popular in japan and has become know as hardlinking, or physical world hyperlinks.