The new Barcode is the QR code

By now most of us have seen these crazy OP-ART looking symbols and have wondered what they are. If you look at it for a long time will you see President Lincoln? Is it a new Maze game for those who have become bored with Sudoku?

Believe it or not this is a barcode for accessing digital information using a handheld device with a camera.

So what is a QR code?

QR stands for Quick Response and it is just that, quick access to online information. A primary application is to embed a hyperlink in it for direct access to a page on the internet. One application even embeds your contact information in the code so it can be scanned and entered into a contacts list.

If you have a Barcode Reader App loaded into your phone, you can take advantage of instore discounts, access videos on YouTube, and use the App to get more Apps. Android uses the barcodes for quick access to its Apps on Amazon (as seen above - the Amazon MP3 for Android featuring Cloud Player).

This is the QR code for the Library Book Bag, which has a different look when viewed on a mobile device.

Literary Applications

Ubimark has published a new version of Around the World in 80 Days: The Ubitour Version Guided by Your Mobile Phone, which uses QR codes to provide readers with quick access to the audio versions of the book chapters and to Google Maps. Check out the video on YouTube.

Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World in 80 Days: The Ubitour Version Guided by Your Mobile Phone

Coming soon to the JGRLS Catalog