QR Codes

QR (Quick Response) codes are like bar codes that can easily by mobile devices through cameras.  They have become increasingly popular for transferring information to your phone.

The first time I saw it was when I downloaded the new Blackberry Messenger.  Now instead of sending PINs to your friends, you can flash your QR code and they can take a picture of it.  In practice, it’s a little weird and imprecise (requiring several tries and a steady hand), but a neat adaptation of the technology.  Google is using it on stores and restaurants so that users can take a picture of the QR code and have all the information from Google at their fingertips.  Even Microsoft’s new app that I wrote about recently is a take on the QR code.  While Microsoft’s may look a little different than the traditional ones, it works in much the same way.

Today Tech Crunch broke a story about Facebook’s experiments with the QR codes.  There are options on some users’ profiles to generate either a QR code for your profile or status.  While I am not certain of the application, I think it’s cool that Facebook is experimenting.  Much like trading business cards, QR codes could hold the future of exchanging personal information.

I am interested to see how they use the codes and how other companies incorporate them.