So after Harlan posted that QR Code for the NU Android App, I started wondering how many people actually know what a QR code is. Lately I’ve seen them popping up, especially in relation to Android Apps, but also on posters and billboards around Chicago (specifically at CTA stops).
A QR Code is a matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.
Common in Japan, where it was created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994, the QR code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes. QR is the acronym for Quick Response, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.
Below are a couple examples of QR codes. You will need a Barcode Scanner on your mobile device or computer to read them. I recommend the app Barcode Scanner for Android or QR Code Reader for the iPhone. Here are some additional iPhone apps.
And here are some QR code generators:
- http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
- http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/
- http://www.i-nigma.com/CreateBarcodes.html
- http://delivr.com/qr-code-generator
