Saturday, June 27, 2009

QR Code




A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The "QR" is derived from "Quick Response", as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. QR Codes are common in Japan, where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional codes. Moreover, most current Japanese mobile phones can read this code with their camera.

Overview

Structure of a QR code, highlighting functional elements.

Although initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR Codes are now used in a much broader context, including both commercial tracking applications and convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any object that users might need information about. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code causing the phone's browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks. Users can also generate and print their own QR Code for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR Code generating sites.

Standards

A giant QR Code linking to a website, to be read with a mobile phone.

There are several standards documents covering the physical encoding of QR Code:

* October 1997 — AIM International[2]
* January 1999 — JIS X 0510
* June 2000 — ISO/IEC 18004:2000 Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar code symbology — QR Code (now withdrawn)
Defines QR Code Model 1 and QR Code Model 2 symbols.
* 1 September 2006 — ISO/IEC 18004:2006 Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — QR Code 2005 bar code symbology specification
Defines QR Code 2005 symbols, an extension of QR Code Model 2. Does not specify how to read QR Code Model 1 symbols, or require this for compliance.

At the application layer, there is some variation between implementations. NTT docomo has established de facto standards for the encoding of URLs, contact information, and several other data types. Google's open-source "zxing" project maintains a list of QR Code data types.

License

QR Code is an open format - the format's specification is available royalty-free from its owner, who has promised not to exert patent rights on it. The term QR Code itself is a registered trademark of Denso Wave Incorporated.

Artikel sejenis:

Yuk, Kita Bikin QR Code Sendiri!
Oleh Pepih Nugraha
http://pepihnugraha.kompasiana.com/2009/06/25/yuk-kita-bikin-qr-code-sendiri/

Kalau mau tampilan foto Facebook yang keren, sesekali ganti foto profil Anda dengan Quick Response Code (QR Code). Memang hanya kode “batik” hitam-putih yang seperti tanpa arti. Padahal, inilah kode yang memungkinkan seseorang tertautkan (linked) dengan situs web, situs pertemanan, atau blog pribadi sekalipun. Bukan itu saja, QR Code bisa dimanfaatkan untuk menampilkan teks, nomor telepon/ponsel, atau pesan singkat (SMS). Mulai 15 Juni 2009 lalu, Harian Kompas menancapkan tonggak sejarah baru dengan memperkenalkan QR Code pada setiap berita/tulisan pilihan, misalnya berita utama. Dengan QR Code itu, pembaca Harian Kompas (print) dapat “meniti jembatan” untuk menyeberang ke Kompas.com (online) dimana disana ditemukan pengayaan dari berita utama tadi melalui ponsel pintar yang mobile!

Apakah hanya Harian Kompas (print) saja yang dapat membuat QR Code?

Tidak! Anda juga bisa membuatnya sendiri dengan mudah!

Caranya? Ikuti petunjuk saya berikut ini:

Silakan klik di sini untuk memperoleh QR Code gratisan. Di situs ini Anda akan menemukan QR Code Generator atau “si pencipta” QR Code sebagaimana tertera di bawah ini:

Kemudian tulislah alamat situs, web, atau blog yang Anda inginkan agar memperoleh QR Code gratisan itu. Uniknya, QR Code gratisan ini tidak sekadar “menjembatani” tautan web yang Anda inginkan, tetapi juga bisa menulis TEKS sepanjang 250 karakter, NOMOR TELEPON/PONSEL Anda, dan bahkan SMS sepanjang 160 karakter! Sebelum memperoleh QR Code untuk URL, TEKS, NOMOR PONSEL, atau SMS, jangan lupa memilih ukuran QR CODE itu sendiri untuk ditampilkan. Tersedia ukuran S, M, L, dan XL. Setelah kode itu Anda peroleh, Anda tinggal meng-copy paste kode itu atau mengkopi HTML yang secara otomatis muncul bersamaan dengan munculnya QR CODE itu. Setelah QR Code ini Anda peroleh, Anda bisa menaruhnya di Facebook. Saya sudah menaruh QR CODE itu untuk Facebook saya. Anda juga bisa mencetaknya di kaus atau T-Shirt, bisa menerakannya di kartu nama, atau bila dikopi dalam bentuk stiker Anda bisa menempelkan stiker itu di kendaraan Anda. Keren abis deh!

Saya mencoba mengambil kode URL untuk blog saya di Facebook dan nomor ponsel saya. Untuk Ponsel saya, QR CODE yang saya peroleh seperti di bawah ini.

Saya mencoba membidiknya dengan “kamera khusus” di ponsel yang sebelumnya sudah saya install secara gratisan pula di sini. Setelah “kamera khusus” pembaca QR Code itu terinstall di ponsel, ia akan membaca atau menerjemahkan kode itu menjadi alamat situs web (blog) atau informasi lain seperti nomor telepon, teks, nomor telepon atau SMS.

Jika Anda membidikan kamera ponsel (yang “kamera khusus”-nya) sudah terinstal, secara otomatis mata kamera akan memindai (scan) QR Code itu dan langsung menerjemahkannya. Untuk contoh QR Code ponsel saya, misalnya, ketika kamera itu dibidikkan, nomor ponsel saya langsung tertera di ponsel dan siap di-DIAL. Sungguh menyenangkan, sebab hal serupa bisa Anda peroleh untuk URL, Teks, dan SMS!

Anda mau mencobanya? Silakan!

Improve Your Google Rankings in One Easy Step



by David

Having a top rank in Google is the holy grail for anyone who has a website. Organic Google traffic is free advertising and how most bloggers (especially those just starting out) achieve visitors and traffic to their site. It all comes down to a simple numbers game. Essentially, more traffic = more money-making opportunities from your blog. The question is, how do you get ranked higher for my blog posts using Blogger?

Before I tell you how, let me give you a quick lesson is search engine optimization (aka SEO). There are two main components: “off-page” and “on-page” optimization. “Off-page” SEO refers to tactics such as link building. The more websites that point their links to your blog/website, the better. It’s a democratic way of showing Google that your site must be important if lots of people are pointing to it. Even more important with “off-page” inbound links is the actual link text (anchor text) that is used to point to your site.

Here’s my proof. If you search Google for the term “click here” you’ll see that Adobe Reader and Apple’s Quicktime software are in the top 3 results. Why? Because so many other sites are linking to these two sites with “click here” as the anchor text to download their software. That’s the power of “off-page” SEO which you as a blogger can’t do much about besides writing such great unique content that generates lots of links.

So with “on-page” SEO you have complete control over how well you’re optimized for Google. This includes keywords in your post titles, title tags, using header tags (h1, h2) and other tactics. Now the one we’re going to focus on in this article is the blog title tag.

Title tags are one of the most (if not the most) important “on-page” elements to ranking high in Google. Search engines such as Google weigh the importance of each word in the title from left to right. So ideally you want your blog post title all the way to the left and your actual blog name to the right. Below is a perfect example of how this should look. You can also check out our Premium Revolution Template which is currently using this technique as well.

blogger seo title

Blogger templates by default don’t come with search engine optimized (SEO) title tags meaning you aren’t maximizing your blog to rank better in Google. If you take a look at your existing Blogger title you’ll see that blogger displays the blog name first then followed by your post title. They have it backwards so let’s get your blog setup properly.

We’re going to have to make a quick edit to your Blogger template which might intimidate some of you but it’s very small and painless. All I ask you to do first is to backup your template just in case you make a boo boo. That makes it easy to revert back without much headache.


Klik here to see the steps or klik to see the above picture bigger.

All your blogger posts are now much better optimized to rank higher in Google. I’m not going to promise you a night and day difference but you’ve taken a step in the right direction. Now just go post unique high quality content so people searching Google will find your blog first!

Ready to super charge your blog? Check out our professional premium blogger templates or make money by joining our blog affiliate program!

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