2007/02/09

The Ubiquitous QR Code (in Japan, anyway)

Anyone who has been to Japan already knows this, but these things are everywhere. Yes, I eat fast food sometimes. So what?

There have been a lot of alternatives springing up over the last couple years, especially in Europe, but in Japan, along with "empty mail" "quick-response codes" the easiest way to get to a URL. It's also used for getting calendar events, contact info, etc. They were originally developed for shipping purposes. Nearly every Japanese keitai comes with a QR-Code reader. They are on you food wrappers, beer cans, sides of buidings, in subways and taxis, on clothes, in museums and restaurants, etc. You can see for yourself here.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Check out new code format in Philipinnes. More robust and works with phone optics: http://www.chette.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=99&Itemid=1&pop=1&page=0#thecomments Uses Nextcode technology and run by SMART 22 million subscribers.

Stephen Chasey said...

Thanks for the info! I think I remember seeing these at Orange Code Camp in Florida last year. It is nice that they do not require a macro lens. I also occasionally see shotcodes (http://www.shotcode.com/) in Europe. They look pretty simple for the information they carry and are also readable without special optics.