Mobile technology married with the maturity of the use of social media has really driven the design and use of that little brick in our pocket. Well – to be honest, they used to be “bricks”, but nowadays they are lightweight, super smart and like mini-computers in your pocket.

The tiny thing that does seem to stop people actually using them to the fullest advantage is fear. So I thought that it may be useful to nail down some of the “techy” words / functions and break them down for you as I come across them…so that maybe you can clearly see the advantage of taking the leap and really getting to know your SMART phone. It may give you back some time in your day;  make some tasks a lot simpler; or even…help make your life more flexible….you just don’t know do you? (Until you try that is!)

In this post I thought I would specifically cover what a QR code is and how you use your phone to snap one open into a useful online resource.  (I have covered what an “APP” is in a previous post called “What is the Difference Between An App, a Platform and a Social Network?” – which may be helpful to read as well.)

What is a QR Code?

In a direct explanation it is a Quick Response Code – which basically means a code that simply short cuts you to something. It is in reality actually a square, dotted bar code. It really originated in Japan in the automotive industry – so that machines could read these codes so that it could record how items move through the production process. Nifty hey?

What is a QR code used for?

Today these codes are used more and more by businesses to drive traffic to their websites, social networks, survey’s, products, competitions, etc. Another reason businesses can use QR codes for is to drive customers to download their APP (should they be at an event, or want a quick way to drive the URL link to the customer’s Smart Phone and make it super easy to download the app.)

How do you use the QR code?

This is the trick – you need to make sure that your phone has a QR reader on it. This is usually housed as an app itself (believe it or not). So, for example for an Apple phone you may decide to download the Scan app in the iTunes store;  for an Android phone, the QR Droid™ from the Play Store; or the QR Code Scanner Pro for the Blackberry in Blackberry World. Once you have the app installed you would then:

1. See the code that you want to scan (usually printed somewhere) – use this one I’ve created for you (see left)
2. Go to the App and open it (and you will immediately be in a screen when you can see through your   camera that it wants you to focus on the code)
3. Keep your hand nice and steady. The app will automatically lock on the code once it’s focussed
4. The app will then ask you want you want to do with the information it has accessed (which depends on what the code unlocked for you – it maybe a barcode for a product; or to go to a social media account; or to download an app for a business. (In our case you will see that it will go to our Twitter account: www.twitter.com/mysocial_intel.)
5. Remember – you are in control all the time – you won’t go anywhere that you don’t want to go, the QR code reader will guide you.

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Have you come across any cool QR codes that gave you a good giggle or was really functional and helpful for you when you were on the go? (You will see them everywhere now that you are aware of them.) Let me know about them – it would be nice to hear from you.

If you have a subject that that you would quite like to see a post about (even if only vaguely related to social media or technology) – please pop a comment below or email me on shelley@harbour32.co.uk or Tweet me on @ShelleyRostlund to let me know.