Hi All, Quick Response codes are launching in Australia: http://www.qrious.com.au – what does everyone think about these?

Is there a page that doesn't have a video that explains them? I have no patience for introductory videos or painful flash intros on websites.

For those who don't know what QR codes are (like me, until QRious contacted me asking for permission to post this): "QR codes are a form of barcode that allow users to access a range of information from their mobile phones. "

meh

I still don't quite understand the point of these codes. I know how it works I just don't know... why any one would bother.

Also my other problem is everytime I see QR I think Queensland Rail.

There was a thread on these a while back that probably explains it well for you troggles.

How is it launching in Australia when it's already on packaging materials? Is this some type of company Telstra trying to cash in on the work of a Japanese guy who developed it in 1994?

last edited by TicMan at 11:44:26 26/Jun/08

If anyone is interested, the code in the video translates to http://www.qrious.com.au, which is disappointing.

I still don't quite understand the point of these codes. I know how it works I just don't know... why any one would bother.

I tried watching the video to see if it actually showed people using them in real world situations about after about 30 seconds of stupid dancing stuff I got bored.

If you are impatient like me, here are some QR code examples from youtube:

Simple what it is/how it works:



More in depth feat. Italian George Clooney:

They're a barcode with some useful information stored in them.

More importantly... since when has Telstra wanted to post on QGL?? Can you keep posting so I can ask you questions about important stuff?

Quick skim read of thread worth it for "Italian George Clooney". A++ would skim again.

what does everyone think about these?

I want to rub QR codes up and down against my body

personally, i'd like to marry several of them.

They seem like the kind of thing that would be really useful if data charges on the average mobile plan were not so ludicrously high. I have no interest in using my phone to do anything on the Internet because I'm not prepared to pay that much extra on the (extremely rare) occasions when I'm away from a wired or wifi internet connection.

chakas +1

needs a slightly more elongated jawline... Self Portrait

Quick skim read of thread worth it for "Italian George Clooney". A++ would skim again.

+1

I posted a thread about QR codes a few months ago, was curious if anyone had heard of them and/or was using them.

not much response then, doubt there will be much response now.

i am qrious though as to how telstra plans to make a buck out of them though?

i am qrious though as to how telstra plans to make a buck out of them though?

Data charges and the simple fact that's a shiny new thing which will hopefully make people use their phones that little bit more. Worked in Japan :)

Worked in Japan

Yeah, but they don't have prohibitive mobile data charges.

Yeah, but they don't have prohibitive mobile data charges.

Telstra quite regularly leads the way in infrastructure deployment resulting in them having new and shiny technologies before the rest of their competitors. Telstra then charges a lot for those technologies during which time they are the only choice.

Competitors then enter that market now that Telstra has shown there is a business case for that particular tech, and then undercut Telstra.

Sometimes when this happens they force the price down, other times Telstra keeps their high prices because they feel they have a superior business grade product that is of a higher quality.

You can relate this scenario to Analog mobile phones, GSM mobile phones, cable broadband, ADSL broadband, Wireless broadband. It is no real surprise that currently Telstra's plans are the most expensive, but that doesn't mean people won't use this new technology.

So you see some random barcode stuck on a poster somewhere on some random wall... have no idea what it is so take a pic and it takes you to a website on your phone browser...

Yeah... thats something I would never use. If it was free sure maybe I'd try it a few times to see what the hell it was but if its gonna cost me money before I actually know what it is - not a chance.


Like reso I thought this was something to do with Queenland Rail... as I do work for them and is the only reason I came in here.

last edited by rubba-chikin at 09:18:52 27/Jun/08

Perhaps QR could use QR codes for train timetables.

So you see some random barcode stuck on a poster somewhere on some random wall... have no idea what it is so take a pic and it takes you to a website on your phone browser...

That might happen a bit as some sort of half-assed attempt at advertising, but its not the point of it. If you see a poster for, say, the new Batman movie and it has a QR code on it, you can take the snapshot with your phone and then get more info for that movie directly - the trailer or book tickets or whatever.

Obviously barely anyone in Australia would actually do this because of the prohibitive data charges, but maybe you can get the thing and take it home and sync it with your PC somehow?

yeah, i think it has other uses too. like you go to a < coke machine >, and it has a QR on it. you take a snapshot and your phone authenticates with the machine via the internet. you can then get a drink (hopefully at some discount) charged to your phone bill.

replace < coke machine > with any vending/ticket machine and i think this gets extremely useful.

Oh yeh that's right, they do that in Japan a lot apparently. That would be awesome, being able to put stuff on your phone bill, assuming there wasn't any other significant charge.

yes, especially since i have a work phone. mwhahaa

replace < coke machine > with any vending/ticket machine and i think this gets extremely useful.

ok that I would use providing there were no retarded charges invovled

Hey rubba what do you do at QR? Now that you mention it I recall someone vaguely like you working at roma st station

i thought this was the thread to get Quake Live beta invites.. oh well.

yeah, i think it has other uses too. like you go to a < coke machine >, and it has a QR on it. you take a snapshot and your phone authenticates with the machine via the internet. you can then get a drink (hopefully at some discount) charged to your phone bill.

They already did this a year or two ago with coke machines, but with a phone number to call instead of a QR Code. It only lasted a short while before people complained that it made it too easy for kids to rack up massive bills and quickly forced whatever company that was running it to stop. Haven't seen anything like it since, but maybe it's time to test the waters with this sort of cool convenience again...

if kids can't moderate their phone bill then parents should put them on prepaid accounts. sif it is technologies fault that their parents are idiots.

I work in the IT department in Rail Center 1 which is basically ontop of central station.