Google mails 2D barcodes to local businesses | Hacker News Reader

Google mails 2D barcodes to local businesses

techcrunch.com

10 pointsslapshot8 comments

It remains unclear if businesses will be that enamoured with giving Google further control of their "message" at this point of engagement.

Would I rather a potential customer typed in my URL and got my "story" or would I let them scan a QRcode that takes them to Google and its links to reviews, competitors etc?

Might businesses also have legitmiate concerns that this is Google getting even more information about the customers (and that this might become yet another Google revenue stream down the track)?

I actually think Google gives businesses control of their "message".

Businesses can claim their identity at Google and modify information about them (hours, phone # etc.) I don't think you can control what reviews appear though.

QRcodes (and the wide variety of barcode scanning products) never reached critical mass: - it wasn't worth it for individuals to learn how to use it unless there were businesses that had them, - it wasn't worth it for businesses to install them unless individuals knew how to use them.

Google might just have broken that barrier by mailing out 150,000 QRcodes.

This is interesting, because Google has actually barcoded the business establishment. Just like RedLaser scans a product's barcode and gives you a breakdown of prices around you, you could potentially "scan" the business and get reviews, prices and alternatives.

This reminds me of the "Q-Cat" bar code readers some magazines mailed out in the late 90's. Those never went anywhere, any reason why this will be different because it is on a mobile phone?

Them being on a mobile phone takes out at least the bad point of Q-Cats, which was the need for an extra device. While I don't fully understand the appeal of these codes (it's not particularly difficult to just google for the restaurant, instead of scanning its code), they are already popular in Japan.

QRCodes are alredy in use for quite some time, and are very popular in many places (specially Japan)...

hmmm maybe some day google will pay for me to tattoo a bar code on my arm so if i'm at a bar a girl can scan me and find out all my dating statistics. Could link it to my facebook/twitter/linked in. :)

Reply on news.ycombinator.com