Ever wish there was more background information presented at Garden City Council meetings?
Garden City Manager Darwin McClary said that there is still another way to learn what is going on in the city.
It involves using QR codes.
“People with smartphones who have the barcode scanner application (free download) and a PDF document reader application (also a free download) can use their phone to scan the QR code on the agenda sheet,†McClary said. “The entire agenda packet will download directly to their smart phone so that they can view the documents on their phones during council meetings or whenever they want to read them. This is just another way to try to make documents accessible and convenient for the public.â€
The city posts its meeting information on its website at www.gardencitymi.org [1] . The QR code can be found on the front of the agenda.
What's a QR code?
Some people call a QR code “a barcode on steroids.†They are used for encoding information in two-dimensional space â€" like in the pages of magazines, in advertisements, on TV and websites. They were originally used to track auto parts, but have become popular.
They are different than a barcode which encodes data in only the horizontal plane as scanners read the width and distance between the vertical lines. QR codes encode data both horizontally and vertically in a grid of tiny squares. This allows for much more data to be encoded in a smaller space. Barcodes are good for identifying products and objects.
Specially programmed scanners can read barcodes and match them to product names, prices and inventory, but that's about it.
QR codes, on the other hand, can embed that information in the code itself and when read with the proper software, can trigger actions like launching a website or downloading a file. QR codes can be read from any angle while barcodes must be aligned properly.
QR codes are tailor-made for quickly and easily linking to content on smartphones. Simple uses include magazine advertisements that link to web sites.
Putting the codes to more complex use, start-up Pingtag uses them as a sort of digital business card for sharing LinkedIn accounts and contact info. According to the Pingtag site, it's a scannable, clickable and trackable way to connect a business card with LinkedIn.
Android uses QR codes to link directly to apps in the Android Marketplace. There also are a number of apps in the iPhone App Store that can read QR Codes, including the free QRReader.
According to phone retailers, most Android phones and BlackBerrys are able to read the codes right out of the box as can newer Nokia handsets. Windows Mobile users can download QuickMarks. Just launch the appropriate app and point the phone's camera at the QR code needed to scan, they say.
sbuck@hometownlife.com (313) 222-2249
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