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QR a queer name, isn’t it? Actually, the abbreviation QR stands for Quick Response. It may seem similar to a bar code, but it is far more useful and is fast emerging as a cool thing on the web. As opposed to a bar code, which is used by retailers to store a very limited amount of information about the product such as the name, the manufacturing date and the retail price, the QR code can store a large amount of info. This information can range even up to thousands of alphanumeric characters. While a bar code is a one dimensional way of arranging information, a QR code is in the form of a 2D matrix. The origins of this phenomenon can be traced back to Japan spanning an entire decade. Although this is a relatively newer concept in countries like USA, QR codes have been used in Japan from a long time. The patent to this technology is held by a subsidiary company of the automotive giant Toyota, called Denso Wave. The decision of this company of waiving their patent rights has really led to the widespread use and adoption of this useful practice. It is very easy to read a QR code even in our day to day lives. Unlike the bar code, which needs a special scanner to be read and be of any practical use, the QR codes can be read by any smartphone which include iPhones and Android phones. There are many applications in the respective markets which facilitate the reading of these codes, collectively called as QR code readers. These apps literally allow you to access the information contained within these codes from any surface. You just have to take a picture, and let the app do the rest. Due to this flexibility of use, nowadays, you can see QR codes being used at numerous places. The major practical purpose that can be achieved by its use is the ease with which a lot of useful information can be provided to users. Although usually a QR code may contain URLs to landing pages of websites or videos, there is no limit as to what you can share with it. Often times, you can share an entire ebook with its help. Apart from this, you can create a link to ‘Like’ your page on Facebook using this. Some people have also gone and printed their info on their T-shirts in the form of QR codes to try and entice the opposite sex to gather any information about them. Another front where this technology is proving to be useful is in the SEO and SMO industry. Adding a QR code on the products which links to the landing page of your website is certainly beneficial for your SEO and SMO strategies. A psychological benefit of using this is that, people who already know about this get impressed by your technical knowhow and those who don’t know tend to get inquisitive and happen to visit your site for satisfying their thirst. Apart from this, there are many trustworthy sources like books which speak about QR code. One of them is – “QR codes for Dummies”. There are several such other books.
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