As we prepare for a new year, full of near field communication NFC technology breakthroughs from the hottest near field communication companies, it seems like a good idea to check out the latest news about our favorite little mobile marketing technology. So, pull up a chair (or whip out your favorite near field communication phone) and let’s take a look at the top headlines in the world of near field communication. There’s quite a bit going on out there, so if we missed your favorite headline, feel free to contact us with a comment!

QR Codes are Dead! Long Live QR Codes!

This headline from Forbes says it all about the love-hate relationship that some brands have had with Quick Response codes. Despite a lot of trepidation and more than a little angst from some parties, Garrett Gee — developer of the popular near field communication reader Scan — wants us to know that “people all around the world actively create and scan QR codes.” The technology may have a negative reputation among some “technical experts,” but Scan has been downloaded more than 25 million times within a relatively short window, definitely showing demand.

That QR Code? Check It’s Not a Sticker

From the UK Register, genuine proof that some of the security concerns surrounding Quick Response may have some basis in fact. Symantec executive Warren Sealey reported that “we’ve seen criminals using bad QR codes in busy places putting them on stickers and putting them over genuine ones in airports and city centres.” While there’s no evidence that this scam has made its way across the ocean just yet, users should be careful of any Quick Response codes that appear to be on adhesive stickers, and should look for evidence of tampering before they scan.

Quick Response Codes Are Taking Off

Before you jet off to take a look at this news article, bask in the fact that this article comes from China Daily, one of the biggest online newspapers from China also available in English. You simply can’t get a wider divergence of opinion than this article versus the one above from Forbes. On the other hand, it has been well-known for a while now that Quick Response has some of its biggest fans in the eastern Asia region, particularly in Japan and Korea. When you read this article, the excitement and innovation surrounding Quick Response is palpable — it might even give you a few ideas on new ways to make use of QR in your campaigns.

As near field communication technology and Quick Response both continue to mature, we’ll be seeing new and better ways to make use of them across industry lines. 2012 has definitely been an exciting time for this segment of the mobile market, and I look forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for devoted tech-watchers. Have a great holiday season, and don’t forget, you can always get in touch with us to share your views on the QR revolution!

As we wait to see how Quick Response codes will develop across the latest generation of near field communication devices, there’s a lot of news coming from near field communication companies, including some breakthroughs on near field communication payments and much more. Here’s a quick breakdown on the very latest news and how it might impact you the next time you need to generate QR codes.

The round-up begins below:

• Czech Republic’s Komercni Banka Launches QR Code-Based M-Payments

It seems like effective, user friendly mobile payment is the one feature that everyone has been waiting for since the evolution of near field communication services began. The latest bank to take a big step in this direction is none other than Komercni Banka, one of the Czech Republic’s largest banks. The bank isn’t just imitating, it’s innovating: New mobile payment functions do more than you might expect, including explain pension reform to customers. Here in the States, Bank of America and many others have been testing mobile payments.

• Contentious Lawsuit Over QR Codes Comes to an End in Denver

NeoMedia and SpyderLynk, two Colorado marketing companies focused on mobile Quick Response, have concluded a lawsuit in which NeoMedia alleged that SpyderLynk violated NeoMedia’s patents in its handling of how Quick Response code information was displayed on its users’ mobile phones. While NeoMedia has not admitted fault, it described the cost of defending itself as “far exceeding” the cost of licensing the disputed technology. Although it is local, this may be one of the largest lawsuits focusing on Quick Response technology yet.

• ScanApp Makes Inroads in Quick Response Scanning Technology

One of the issues that comes up with Quick Response scanning apps is that most of them are kind of boring. They bring you the functionality that you want, but there’s not much there to encourage you to keep using the technology. ScanApp hopes to change this by offering more robust features. It is available on major platforms including iOS, Windows Phone and Android, and combines scanning with a built-in Quick Response code generator. Plus, it can keep track of your entire scanning and code creation history.

There’s a lot going on in the world of Quick Response codes, even as near field communication is in the spotlight in much of the mobile media market. It’s definitely a good idea for any near field communication company to diversify its abilities and keep both NFC and QR in the arsenal. As a consumer, it’s also a good idea to keep a modern QR scanner on your phone. If you are not satisfied with the factory-installed options, consider looking at ScanApp as a good example of all the features that QR code aficionados have been searching for, all in one app.

How have you been using Quick Response lately? What’s your favorite application for QR? What about NFC? Tell us all about it in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the fast-moving world of Quick Response!

Long before the advent of near field communication companies, there were efforts being made to modernize the grave marker. A few companies looked at ways to embed a video screen into these markers, for example, so visitors could see the deceased and listen to a message. This turned out to be horribly expensive, though, and just plain impractical when you think about the maintenance needs of even simple screens and monitors.

We already know that there’s a free QR code generator or two out there that can provide truly high quality color QR codes. Now, these totally customizable codes are even helping people to memorialize their loved ones. A business in Indiana, is now offering “high tech” tomb stones that will help people with any compatible near field communication phone tap into interactive multimedia memorials.

These memorials can be a rich historical experience for children, helping them connect with their family history in a world where family photos are being digitized more than ever. They can link to anything your ordinary Quick Response Code can, including video footage, pictures, a sound message, and more. No other new technology has been invited into our lives in quite the same way, so it’s a sign that there’s room for QR to grow.

Quick Response Codes Invade Europe! Commentators Wondering …

A free QR code generator must have crossed the “pond,” because reporters in the UK and Europe are starting to scratch their heads about it. Take for example this nifty little tech column from Euro Weekly Online that shows how the QR code is starting to come into its own in Europe after a long honeymoon in Japan. In fact, it’s even got Ken Hess over at ZDNet wondering whether QR codes should be regulated.

Ken isn’t calling for new QR code laws or bans, though. He’s just thinking about the importance of QR safety. With codes showing up just about everywhere these days, it’s important to remember that they can link to just about anything. Benign codes that you might see on a flyer, on a vehicle, or in a shop window could be subverted by malicious hackers. The key word, though, is could — I’ve never heard of this happening in real life!

Most of the QR codes you run into will get scanned by your near field communication phone, like your Android, so this is a good reminder about basic safety. Make sure your phone is running the latest operating system software from the manufacturer all the time, since these updates usually include safety upgrades. Always keep your browser updated, too, and make sure you practice the best password safety and password security you can!

Hello, everyone! Last time we talked about how near field communications technology is fighting the good fight by making it easier to recognize lost children. This time, QR code generators are even helping people prevent bike theft! It’s all thanks to a startup near field communication company all the way in Australia, MyBikeRego. You’ll be amazed at the way they’re providing tools to prevent vehicle theft using your very own near field communication phone! Bike theft, once a major problem in some of Australia’s biggest cities, could easily become almost impossible with this new service.

MyBikeRego Helps Quick Response Codes Become Crimefighters

MyBikeRego has a simple concept. Using a Quick Response Code generator, the firm provides you with a unique code for your bike. When anyone scans your code, it brings them to a website where they can find information about you, where to contact you, and much more. That means that law enforcement personnel who suspect a bike is stolen can easily return it to its rightful owner. The Quick Response Code is placed on the bike in such a way that it is highly visible, but because the codes are very durable, it is not likely to get damaged to the point where it is no longer readable by the average phone.

Can Bike Thieves Remove The Quick Response Codes from MyBikeRego?

With time and patience, a thief can probably remove even painted on Quick Response Codes, but to really pull it off, they would have to remove and change the entire bike part it’s stuck to. Not many thieves are willing to go to that kind of trouble, so if they know what the QR code is, they might be less likely to take it in the first place. Plus, there are other good uses for the code that MyBikeRego and other companies are just getting started with! If a bicyclist is in an emergency, the QR code can help authorities get in touch with his or her family fast. That could make a big difference when seconds count!

How Else Can Quick Response Codes Help People Protect Property and Safety?

Since so many people in America have a near field communication phone these days, there is really no reason for stolen property to go unfound. But that is not the only way to use Quick Response Codes to make the world a little bit safer. QR codes might soon make it easier to get back anything that might be lost or stolen, such as books, keys, electronics, and all the other things that get misplaced over the course of an average year. Runaway animals could be identified without the use of expensive GPS microchips, and QR enabled “How’s My Driving?” stickers could make it easier to report shenanigans on the road! The sky is the limit for QR, which is now not only making things easier, but safer too!

There are still a lot of people worrying about whether new near field communication technology means we won’t get to see quick response codes as much in the future, but here’s even more evidence to put their minds at ease!

Last time, we talked about the giant QR code that engineers painted on the Facebook headquarters roof. Well, it seems like a lot of people thought this was a great idea, because it’s already been topped: With the world record for largest QR code.

That is a 10,000 square foot quick response code on a rooftop in Charlotte, North Carolina that has achieved a Guinness World Record and become the first QR code seen from space! In fact, you might even be able to find it on Google Maps, Google Earth, or other mapping software. But this kind of fun and silliness isn’t the only new trend in QR.

Growing up, do you remember seeing missing children pictured on milk cartons? Nowadays, a lot of those poor kids’ faces are found on junk mail that usually goes right into the trash. To help eagle-eyed consumers save more kids, QR codes have become the latest way to find missing children. By scanning one, you can get a permanent visual record and then contact the police with one click if you see a missing person.

Since the QR codes are compatible with any near field communication phone, this is a great way to make missing children alerts portable for the first time. And because quick response codes have such a low rate of data loss, they don’t have to look plain. There might be a higher rate of response when a photo of the child is embedded in the QR code.

This is a great way to snap people out of their funk regarding missing children alerts — after all, when was the last time you read through all your junk mail? And consumer awareness of quick response codes is growing. A recent study by GMO Japan Market Intelligence showed that it’s not just Japan where QR is catching on, though that remains the most QR friendly place in the world. South Korea and China are also seeing more QR use.

What about the good old U.S. of A? Well, there are no figures for that yet and it could be a lot harder to measure. But if people keep using QR to fight the good fight (not to mention painting them on buildings!) it might not be too long before everyone knows about them. Are marketers willing to play the long game for a big profit?

One of the things near field communication companies should remember about QR codes and QR code generators is that they have the potential to be truly artistic! People do not participate enough in making the world around them beautiful, and so often we rely on technology like our near field communication phone to make things more drab. We want to see “data,” not what’s in front of us, and technology encourages it. QR codes buck the trend by being stylish and even beautiful in their own right!

Of course, I’m not the only one to notice this! Plenty of people in the technology world love visual culture and hope that near field communication technology means we will be moving toward a visual Renaissance where there are even more interesting things to discover in the world around us. After all, to work, a QR code first has to be noticed. The first generation QR codes all looked like product bar codes, but thanks to the way they store information, people were soon able to move on to great designs!

Here’s a quick look at some of the best visual designs for QR codes:

• QR Codes As Art
• Beautiful and Creative QR Codes
• QR Coded Shopping Walls
• QR Codes as Pop Art Meme

Not too long ago there was talk about the QR code going away in favor of other near field communication technology. Look how fast things have changed! Only a few days ago, Facebook employees scaled the roof of their new headquarters to paint a giant QR code on the roof, and yes, it is a real, working code! At about 42 feet wide, it’s positioned just so that passing airplanes will be able to see it.

Since more and more people are becoming aware of QR in technology, commerce, and the art world, that’s another good reason why it won’t be going away any time soon. Although there is talk about QR being less convenient because you have to scan the physical object, I think that’s part of its charm. The humble QR code even played a big role at the recent SXSW conference and was a major player last year, too!

Although they still have a ways to go before they get into everyone’s minds (and under everyone’s blinders) I think QR is here to stay. And that’s why everyone who is working hard to figure out how to use them best in marketing will be well positioned as they continue to grow. But don’t just market — make the world a better place and put some artistry in your QR codes! It’ll increase scans and brand recognition, too!

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