Matrix barcodes: the bridge between the real and the virtual world

Good day.
First, let's clarify what this is a two-dimensional bar code. QR code (Quick Response) is a matrix code developed and submitted by the Japanese company “Denso-Wave” in 1994. As you know, in our country QR codes are extremely rare, with the exception of computer magazines and the Internet.
According to the well-known proverb about Mahomet and grief, let’s take on the popularization of such an interesting service. Fortunately, with the help of special programs, it is very easy to generate and read such code.
Find online generator is not a problem. There are so many of them. A few of them would like to mention:

• qrcoder.ru this website can turn into a QR code not only text or hyperlink, but also a business card or SMS message.
• In addition to previous abilities, qr-code.com.ua can also place a geographical location and a Wi-Fi network in a QR code.
• qrcode.kaywa.com and another simple QR code generator.

There are situations when there is no access to the Internet, then the application on Windows will be useful for generating two-dimensional bar codes. The program “2D Code Genarator for i-mode” can be downloaded on the website of the Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo (1.88mb).

Not only is the program very easy to use, it also has instructions. This program generates two-dimensional barcodes of QRCode and Dataatrix formats, it has the ability to only configure each of the codes. The resulting codes can be printed, saved as a graphic file or copied to the clipboard. Not only is the program very easy to use, it also has instructions.
The generator can create links, send SMS and MMS, hyperlinks to websites, contacts, events, links to installing Java applications, to a phone number.
However, unfortunately, all this functionality only works with phones for the DoCoMo network, since the data in the code is saved using a special markup language (by the way, not so complicated).
Only one function of the program can be useful to us - created by a two-dimensional QR code with simple text (button on the left “Text dialog is displayed”). The text can be not only a few words, but also a hyperlink or phone number, which is very pleasing.
Content examples:
site.com - hyperlink site;
tel: +80971234567 - call to the desired phone number;
sms: +80971234567: “hello” - sms with the text “hello” to the desired phone number.
So, in the left pane of the " Function ", select the pencil icon with the paper, type the code we leave QR (left button) and enter the text. After that, the code can be saved as a graphic file, printed or copied to the clipboard.
These actions are triggered by the buttons on the right panel, before they are executed, a preview window is displayed where you can see the generated code. For saving it is better to choose the BMP format (menu Setting> Output Format> BMP ).
We learned how to create 2D codes. Now it does not hurt to learn how to read them. Since we most likely do not have a special scanner, a cell phone with a camera will replace it.
Now in the Internet you can find a lot of different programs for mobile devices. Nokia builds its own similar development into some models.
Basically, all programs are similar to each other. After sorting out some of them I liked the most
a program for Symbian, called NeoReader , which can read DataMatrix and QR codes, as well as codes of several other standards.

What this program is good for is also the fact that it is cross platform. If you have another platform, there will be no problem finding the NeoReader for Windows Mobile, Android, iPhone and BlackBerry, and Sony Ericsson has been selling its phones since the beginning of 2010 with the already built-in NeoReader.
After launching this program, an image from the integrated camera appears on the phone screen. We direct the camera at the image of the code, the instant of waiting - and that's it.
On the phone screen displays the text encoded in the code. If this is a hyperlink, then after confirmation it will open in the phone browser.
If the phone number is, you can dial it immediately, and if the SMS phone asks for permission to send a message with the required text to that number.

Perspectives

What can be done with them interesting? First, you can put a code on a business card, and in the code specify a link to your website or profile in a social network.
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This will not only diversify its design, but also allow the interlocutor to learn more about you or write you a message if he has a reading program. This will be especially appreciated by guests from countries where such technologies are used everywhere.
You can order a t-shirt with the image of a two-dimensional code. In addition to the attention of others, you will receive an exclusive thing, no one else will have such a drawing. And with a code you can decorate a warm knitted scarf.





Some manage to keep a network diary, where each entry is encoded in a giant QR code. An example of such a site: qrblog.nl/ . What is most surprising, the phone successfully recognized this code and showed several sentences in English encrypted in it.
There are printed publications that have online versions, which at the end of each article publish links to its electronic version or additional materials on the topic.
With the help of matrix codes you can mark every object in the collection: from paintings in the gallery to jars of jam and home preservation. For galleries, a link to a site with a detailed description of a work of art in several languages ​​will naturally be more useful than a small sign.
Finally, such codes can be used in advertising, from a newspaper ad to a huge street poster. Since this advertisement is associated with the website, you can immediately offer to place an order for the goods through the online store.



Similarly, you can order tickets for a concert, looking at his afshu, or subscribe to the magazine via the Internet, taking a picture of the code on its cover.
When recognizing a code containing an SMS, the phone offers to send an SMS to the desired number with some text. What is not an ideal way to order paid mobile content?

Some do a tattoo in the form of a QR code





And finally, a little light erotica. On the site , reading the codes from the screen, you can download girls in bathing suits to your phone for free.

Alternatives

OCR

One-dimensional, and then two-dimensional barcodes were originally developed as a form of writing that could easily read an electronic device.
At the same time, the opposite problem was solved - computer text recognition (Optical Character Recognition, OCR), written in ordinary font.
And in this significant progress was achieved. Now OCR programs can be installed not only on a computer. There are also versions for sartphones.
For example, the ABBYY Busines Card Reader program from the FineReader system developers is able to recognize the inscriptions on business cards, automatically finding the first name, last name, position, phone number, etc. there.



The main disadvantage of text recognition technologies is errors in the recognition process. Two-dimensional bar codes with no more incorrectly read cells are recognized correctly, due to the availability of information for error correction, and badly damaged codes simply do not count.
At the same time, the recognized text usually contains many errors, which can only be corrected by a live user. Even intelligent methods that use dictionaries to find suitable words cannot provide a reliable guarantee.

RFID

This is a method of marking objects using a miniature radio-transmitter and antennas, which often do not require external power supply.
The tag can be considered a special device from a distance of several tens of centimeters (in some standards up to three meters). There are many varieties of RFID devices. Starting with labels on goods in stores and ending with chips in contactless passes or travel tickets.



Even a VeriChip implant is about the size of a rice grain that can be implanted under the skin (used in medicine). RFID technology deserves a separate larger article, I note only that for home use, chips and readers for them will cost much more than matrix-like barcodes, which can be printed on a printer.

Poken

In a small Swedish company was invented an interesting way to quickly exchange contact information. The electronic business card based on RFID Poken looks like a toy or a funny key chain, but contains a battery and an RFID chip.



The device is easy to use and nice to look at. In order to exchange business cards, they will rather touch the palms of the Pokens. The device can contain in memory up to 64 business cards. Collected business cards can be viewed by connecting the keychain to a computer on the site .
Now in the world there are about 100 thousand owners of such key chains. Not too much to run right now to the store for a device because the probability of meeting a person with such a Poken is extremely small.

Bluetooth

Well, if we exchange business cards in electronic form, then it is impossible not to recall such a function as Bluetooth, because each of us has Bluetooth in our phone.



There are many programs for convenient exchange of business cards, multimedia files or plain text through the "blue tooth". And with the development of technology and an increase in speed, it becomes easier and simpler.