Why QR codes are on the rise | Hacker News Reader

Why QR codes are on the rise

economist.com

10 pointsyarapavan16 comments

Apple's iOS11 update allows for direct QR code scanning with the native camera app [1][2].

[1] https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/05/the-iphones-camera-app-can... [2] https://blog.qrd.by/2017/09/21/iphone-ios11-qr-code-reading-...

the answer to why QR codes are a thing now is basically this.

Also [3].

[3] https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/11/e...

Firefox on iOS has QR reader as well, but it opens the decoded value in a browser window.

I wish Google Camera, hell even stock Android would natively support them.

Sweet, now we only need a QR code reader app which doesn’t need the permission to the contacts, to sent sms, to install other software, which doesn’t display add taking half of the screen, and which decodes the QR code on the client i.e. no internet connection necessary (i might be scanning sensitive information).

For the no-ad and no-internet-connection requirements: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.zxi... -- You can also install it from F-Droid because it's open-source: https://github.com/zxing/zxing

I suppose you can use that to compile your own APK that does not request any permissions (besides, obviously, "Use camera").

I like this one https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.secuso.pri...

Also available on F-Droid https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.secuso.privacyFriendlyCo...

QR Code has literally no barrier of entry, anyone who wants to receive money in China for whatever they are selling, simply print out a QR Code with Printer.

I still do not believe that QR Code is the Holy Grail, as media in China and WeChat like to paint it. For anyone who has been to China, and lived in China for a while will know pretty much everything in China has QR Code.

While I believe it has its use, I still dont think QR Code should be the only way to access, but rather something to argument on. NFC-F, Felica is still 10 times better in Transport payment where response time is everything, especially in tube/underground like Japan Railway. Unless someone can invent a way where by me showing QR Code and reading it by a Optical Reader is faster then NFC. Which i am not entirely sure if it is possible.

If anyone could shine any light as to why something as good as Felica, invented, implemented and used from 20 years ago only make it to a standard body last year.

I never understood why QR codes took off in the first place -- by the time people started using them it seemed just looking for URLs in the camera image and letting people click on them with their finger would work as well.

Cheapo handheld scanners and poor lighting conditions.

QR codes have a lot of the same contrast benefits that barcodes have, and it's historically been hard to make an OCR-based scanner (for stocking shelves, lets say), with an acceptable retail price. Lots of industrial uses preclude touch surfaces, and lots of industrial areas preclude the kinds of displays you find on normal phones and such. And OCR in random lighting conditions, with random angles, and a little hand-jiggle gets ugly quick.

There are also packaging benefits with QR codes. They are fixed size regardless of content, and have a common appearance. "apple.com/product" is fine to put on a sign, but "www3.hp2.hpe.com/enterprise-cms/na/en/v2/update4/supplierhub/supplier17/product.asmx?&id=BUYTHIS&source=FROMMYSIGN" and the like become a presentation and usability issue ;)

QR codes have error correction. Text usually doesn't.

The reason I bet on is now Apple made it integrated into the stock Camera app. The QR reader is very clean (as Apple is to do).

Shameless plug: with our API (https://voucherify.io) you can generate, distribute, and track QR codes

Wechat is way ahead on this gang.

Whatever.

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