I have a classifieds webapp for our student union and want to create printable versions of the different ads, that students can print and distribute on the campus. To get further information, people should be able to read a QR code from the printout with their smartphone.
The question is: Can I encode both the phone number to call for the ad and the URL of the website in the QR code at the same time, so that people can scan the code and then select if they want to call the person or open the website of the ad?
I was thinking about using a vcard, but that would add that otherwise useless information to the peoples contacts list. Is there something like CSV data that Android correctly reads to achieve this? (And preferably iPhones, too)
Of course you can.
VCard is fine, it would enable other QR readers to parse it correctly - so your QR would be up to standard.
You wouldn't have to implement full RFC though, just the basic TEL, and URL fields.
Related
According to this page an SMS is possible to get in a QR Code. I'm creating a generator but have no idea how they do it in their one. The scanner I'm using to test the codes brings theirs up with two fields, "to" and "body".
What information do you need to put in the qr code? For example, for the emails you require the mailto syntax.
There are two different things you can try:
smsto:+447700900888
Or,
sms:+447700900888
Where +44 is the country code. Remember to URL encode the + as %2B.
Both should work on the majority of modern smartphones - but remember to double check using the phones your customers actually have.
Here's the situation. I am trying to implement a system in a restaurant where each table has its unique QR Code. The QR Code is fixed and hard printed on the table. My application is basically a web page and the QR Code is simply a web page address with an encrypted parameter which identifies the table.
This system is already protected (to a certain degree) from pranksters by only allowing orders to come from the IP address of the Wifi connection. So you need to be at least connected to the restaurant's wifi to use this page. Doesn't protect from people outside the building, but that is another issue.
The problem occurs if a user comes today and scans the code for table 3 and places an order. If the user comes later and sits at table 5, I don't know how to stop them from loading the previously scanned link (for table 3) and place an order for table 3.
Having constantly changing time stamped QR Codes would address the problem, but that is impossible since the QR codes are fixed.
Is there a way for the page to "know" that it has been loaded from a QR Code Scan, or whether it was loaded from the browsing history? We are talking about pages loaded on a smartphone, so I guess that complicates matters.
Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated! :)
In short, no. There's usually no "refer" header which will tell you that a page has been loaded from a bookmark or retrieved from a scanner's history rather than scanned directly.
Having an ever changing QR code is not impossible (using eInk or a small display) but that doesn't solve the problem.
Here's how I would fix it.
User scans a code - example.com/table3 - the first thing they see is a map with table 3 highlighted on it.
Text says "If you're not at table 3, please scan the code on your table. If you are - click here to order." Or something like that.
Explain to the user that if they're not sitting at the correct table - someone else will get their food!
Is there a good API or other possible solution to the following?
I am trying to track club membership and discrete "check in" events/activities using QR codes. First I generate a QR code with an embedded URL to a web page with member information (random/obscured URLs with shortened links) and print that QR code on a label and attach it to a membership card. I then scan the QR code with Red Laser or some other reader to access the shortened URL and the "hidden" member information.
My issue is that I have 100s (eventually thousands) of QR codes to track so I'm looking for a simple tool or API to manage all of these obscure links and see how often they have been accessed by Red Laser (or a browser if someone manages to discover any of these obscured links).
I tried Google Analytics but I wasn't able to get the level of "fine tune" control I'd like. What I really want is the ability to map this information (e.g., member contact info, obscure links, number of times clicked, etc.) to a format like chartbeat.com.
Grateful for any suggestions.
I have a text to QR code converter. I want to use it to create QR codes like Website URL, YouTube Video, Google Maps Location, Telephone Number, Skype Call, SMS Message, Email Address, Email Message, Contact Details (VCARD), Event (VCALENDAR), Tlephone Number
Can you give me the codes to create it like I got to create Email-
MATMSG:
TO:xyz#abc.com;
SUB:I am sending this email using QR code;
BODY:I have stored all of your letters in QR codes.
[Add more here]
Thanks
[Your Name];;
You can check my QR code generator
Note that only some QR code readers will recognize those different types and it's not universal for various phones/devices. You are better off keeping it simple with text string/URL until all devices adhere to standard. Android seems to support the most types and the reference implementation is their Barcode Scanner which is also open sourced on google code (zxing).
http://code.google.com/p/zxing/
You can view their source for how they generate the different types... Then compare your output to theirs with this online generator:
http://zxing.appspot.com/generator
My boss wants me to fashion a QR code so that when the user scans it, it displays a button that when clicked:
(1) Will take the user to our website.
(2) Will quietly send us a text message.
The purpose of #2 is to allow us to gather their phone number.
In addition to being a privacy violation, I'm pretty sure this (and any other means of achieving this), is technically impossible. Is that correct?
My understanding of QR codes is that they only contain text. That text may contain keywords which a good reader may parse and display buttons for. It seems the closest I can get to my employer's requirement is to use an SMSTO: link in the QR code, so that (given an appropriate reader) the user is prompted to send us an SMS, at which point we can get their number.
Can anyone think of another way of doing this?
(any other clarification also welcome)
It is technically impossible.
As you say, the best you can do is create an smsto: link.
What you can do is create a code with the instruction
"Scan the code to receive our website by SMS"
Then, create a code with
smsto:123456:website
This will send the keyword "website" to a phone number. You'll need to set up a phone number which can auto-respond with the URL you want. There are commercial services which do this (depending on where you are in the world). Or look at a service like FrontlineSMS which can send the texts on your behalf.