Having discussed my QR code idea I may have to slightly alter my output. Originally it was going to have a pop up, showing warnings and information about the film, however I have since discovered that QR codes do not store data themselves, they simply redirect to something else. Therefore I may have to create a website, dedicating certain posts to certain films.
EDIT:
QR CODE USES:
According to Smallbiztrends there are a number of potential uses for QR codes including:
- Use a QR Code to direct a customer to the URL for your website, Facebook, Twitter or other social media page.
- Use it to share a text message (anything from “Happy Holidays!” to “Have you seen what we have upstairs?)
- Use it as a discount code to be taken to the checkout counter for 10 percent off, for example.
- Use it on your business card with your contact details embedded inside the code.
- Use it to link to a Google Maps location for your new store location perhaps.
- Use it to link to a YouTube video or channel perhaps demonstrating new products or funny company videos.
- Use it to link to an app store download (perhaps of your company’s latest eCommerce app?)
- Use it to embed pricing for your products as an alternative for more conventional price tags.
- Put it on your website’s “contact us” page allowing people scan it and get your contact information direct on their phones.
- Put the code on the tables and walls of your restaurant as an easy way for customers to send off a Foursquare or Facebook status update.
- Put a code on your restaurant’s takeout menu allowing customers to scan it with their phones and instantly call to place an order.
- Put a QR code at the end of promotional videos taking viewers to a landing page on your website.
QR CODE ADVANTAGES:
After researching how QR Codes work I have discovered that ‘The most recent version is 177 pixels square, and it holds 1852 characters—enough for a few pages of information.’ (According to Gizmodo.com). This means I will have to compress my information to as little as possible, if I am going to use QR codes in order to bring up the information.
According to Smallbiztrends ‘The QR code has many advantages over a conventional barcode, however. The main advantage is that you can store up to a hundred times more information on a QR code than on a conventional horizontal barcode. In addition, QR codes can be scanned from any direction for 360 degrees. This makes them easier for your device to read and lessens the possibility of background interference.
The third main advantage is that from a marketing point of view, the code’s appearance is unique and interesting, increasing the likelihood of engaging the customer in any campaign where it might be deployed.
A QR code reader can be downloaded onto a smartphone by anyone, and they are mostly free of charge. This means that any customer can walk into your business with his or her smartphone, and scan a QR code which you have generated. An Android user can use something like QR Code Reader, and an iPhone user can download the Quick Scan app. Both are free of charge.
There are many websites allowing you to generate QR codes and again, most are free of charge. You can then download them to your computer for printing. A Google search for “QR code generator” brings up countless results, each offering different options. So it is simply a case of selecting the options that works best for you.’
This illustrates the advantages that QR codes can offer, and especially to me in particular.
QR CODE DRAWBACKS:
The article by Gizmodo then continues to discuss the negatives to QR codes.
‘This is due largely to the inherent limitations that QR suffers from. The system needs a steady hand to take the shot, the proper QR app to interpret it, and a data connection to load the webpage and content. So when advertisers put QR codes on freeway billboards, or on subway ads where there is little cell reception, and expect users to then go through the trouble of installing an app just to be taken to the desktop version of the corporate website, it’s little wonder why nobody bothers with it.’
It also raises discussion about the issues of malicious QR codes. ‘The codes can also be used to transmit malicious code, in what’s known as “attagging.” Since anyone can create the codes, it’s easy to write a bit of malware, put it in a QR code, and slap that code over a legitimate tag. Some sap scans the bad code and, if his permissions are set too loosely, the code could give itself access to everything from the camera to the contacts to the GPS data. Or it could connect to an infection site loaded with browser exploits. The phone an become part of a bot net, or be used to send unauthorized texts—hackers in Russia once used QR to commandeer phones to send $6 international SMS messages.’ This means that I will have to consider security risks when developing the system.
Although I feel the Gizmodo article is very pessimistic, it raises some good points, and I will reflect upon these pessimistic views when developing the system.
References:
Tarantola, Andrew. Gizmodo.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
O’Neill, Mark. “What Is A QR Code And How Does It Work?”. Small Business Trends. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.