Scan Your Way to the Next Party: University Tests Mobile 2D Barcode System

CIO — At Case Western Reserve University, a student points her cell phone's camera at a poster advertising a campus event. Now she's got directions, the start time and related info, via a linked Web page. It's all thanks to a novel program at the college that lets anyone with a case.edu e-mail address scan barcodes in various locations and translate them into Web content using their cell phones. The university's Cleveland, Ohio campus is the first large-scale test site in the United States for mobile "2D codes" or "quick response (QR) codes," according to a Case release.

Upwardly Mobile: Where are all the QRs?

Ever heard of QR codes? No? Neither have many other people in the UK, apparently. Jo Best explains all about the many uses of this quirky mobile tech from - where else - Japan.

In the last Upwardly Mobile column, I called for smarter use of cameraphones - more business applications, less taking drunk pictures of your mates.

As usual it seems the cradle of mobile civilisation, Japan, has found and deployed a system to take advantage of cameraphones which is being embraced by retailers and consumers alike. It's called 'QR codes'.