If there's any set of technology users who could kick the use of QR Codes into high gear it would be iPhone owners. Enamored of the some 25,000 applications now available in the iTunes App Store, iPhone users are happily downloading new apps all the time. The problem for developers isn't coercing people into believing that it's okay to install software on the phone - it's generating awareness that the software they created even exists. In other words, raising app awareness is a marketing problem.

When an application becomes popular, it gets featured on one or more of iTunes' "Top" lists which rank the hottest applications in their store overall and by category. But getting on these lists means first getting the message about your app out there. For some application developers, that means emailing every blogger and journalist who covers mobile technology hoping for a review. Others attend all the tech conferences they can, handing out numerous business cards.

But with iCandy's widget, there's now a third option for marketing an iPhone app in the offline world: QR codes. For those who don't know, a QR code is a type of barcode which can be easily scanned using a mobile phone's camera and accompanying third-party software. (iPhone users can check out apps like Optiscan, Neoreader, BeeTag, Xzing, 2D Sense, Barcode, Snapp, etc.)

How to Create a QR Code for an iPhone Application

For developers and marketers wishing to promote an application, they can do so using the iPhone App iCandy Card. The steps involved are simple:

1. Launch iCandy and select "Create Card."
2. With iTunes open, find your iPhone app and drag and drop its icon into the iCandy Print window. iCandy will create a QR code of the URL that connects back to the iTunes store.
3. Click 'Edit Item' to enter a relevant title and artwork.
4. Select your print layout.
5. Print to a local printer, disk, or Flickr.

Real-World Scenarios for Use

If creating and scanning barcodes with your mobile phone sounds too geeky for you, keep in mind this technology is inching its way closer to mainstream acceptance thanks to apps that scan the barcodes of products in order to do price comparisons. Consumers may even adopt the technology before the stores even know what's happening! The reason, obviously, is that in a down economy such as this, anything that could potentially save people money is likely to be given more of a chance than before...even these slightly "geekier" applications that may have been ignored in the past. Add to that the ease-of-use of iPhone applications and it's easy to see the still untapped potential of the QR code.

At iCandy, they suggest a couple of uses for their new app-to-QR-code widget, saying "imagine scanning a QR code on the ski lift tower that gets you a ski conditions app, or scanning a poster on the subway for a subway schedule app." But we're sure you can think of many more examples on your own. And with more businesses developing their own custom applications, we may not be too far off from a day when QR codes print on your receipts at your favorite store, show up on the menus at your favorite restaurants, or display in posters all over the city.

Well, perhaps we're getting a little ahead of ourselves here. Although QR code technology has taken off in certain markets around the world, most notably Japan, they've only recently gained popularity in the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. The problem in these markets may not be the unwillingness of consumers to adopt the technology, but the lack of QR codes out in the real world which are available for scanning. With iCandy, generating the codes is a breeze, but now someone has to convince marketers that they might be worth trying out.

Creating Codes

Using iCandy is easy. You simply drag and drop a web site link or iTunes track into the iCandy interface to create the QR code. You can also add in photos from either your computer or an online service like Flickr or Snapfish. The iCandy application then creates the barcode which you can then print out or use elsewhere on the web...like in a Zazzle.com store for example, where you could sell your barcode-emblazoned merchandise. The iCandy application supports any URL from the web, but will specifically support media from iTunes, YouTube, flickr, Facebook, MySpace, Scribd, Slideshare, last.fm, Pandora, and imeem.

Scanning Codes

For end users interacting with the barcode, the process is simple, too. All you need is a webcam or a barcode reading application for your smartphone. The company suggests that iCandy could be used to create a digitally enhanced album collection which you could use to play tracks from your iTunes music library. This is demonstrated, quite adorably we might add, by one of the iCandy engineer's 4 1/2 year-old-daughter, who launches music (and dances around) in this YouTube video.

Although this idea of interacting with your music collection appears to be the primary focus of the iCandy application, we think its other uses are just as appealing, if not more so. With the QR codes created by the application, bands and other artists wishing to promote their music could create merchandise - flyers, t-shirts, cards, etc. - which link directly to their homepage on the web or the music itself.

Imagine how this could work: after a long night out at the local bars and clubs, you could simply scan a card or other giveaway item the band had handed out after their last set. That's much easier than entering in a URL or even having to locate the album listing manually. Thanks to iCandy's innovative technology, a code scanned for music you don't already own, would also give you a prompt to purchase it from iTunes, Amazon, or Rhapsody.

iPhone Application in the Works

Even better than having to use your computer would be using your iPhone as the barcode scanner instead. Since the QR codes are just normal barcodes, you can scan them today using any third-party QR code scanning application on your iPhone, or any other smartphone for that matter. However, the company is working on an iPhone application that would auto-play the track if you already owned it and it was in your iPhone's music collection. If it wasn't, you could be shown the track in iTunes so that you preview it or purchase it, if desired.

The auto-play feature is where the company is having problems at the moment because of how Apple has the phone locked down. A company representative told us that they will probably have to meet with Apple in order to get this sorted out properly and play by all the rules.

In the meantime, QR codes that link to other web sites - or even YouTube videos - will work with the iPhone. Other camera-equipped smartphones can also be used to scan the barcodes and direct the users to the appropriate web sites.

Try it Out!

The iCandy application is still in beta, but you can register to try it out now. To get right in, use the code "RWW" when you sign up here. Company feedback can be sent to the company via the feedback form on their homepage (http://icandy.ricohinnovations.com) or via email (feedback@icandy.ricohinnovations.com).

Do It Yourself

You create your own barcodes on the Tag web site and download them in various formats (PDF, WMV, and XPS). The site also lets you track how often your codes have been scanned, which sets it apart from most other online barcode generators.

Tags always need to include a title, but optionally, you can also set start and end dates for campaigns, secure them with passwords, add vCard information, phone numbers, or just plain text.

The vCard information might be one of the most useful applications, as you could put the barcode on your business cards, from which your contacts can easily import all your contact information to their phones.

Will it Succeed Where the CueCat Failed?

Of course, there is no dearth of barcode readers for mobile phones. Some, just like Microsoft Tag, only read the tags and take you to a destination on the web, while others, like Big in Japan's ShopSavvy for Android phones, focus more on providing other services like comparison shopping. Other apps like

A few days ago, we wrote about a research project that, once released, would allow you to access information about real-world places by simply aiming your camera at them. While Microsoft's tags are surely not even close to this, the project does have a lot of potential.

At the same time, though, we have seen too many similar projects fail to be too optimistic about this one (think CueCat in the late 90s). Now that cell phones with adequate cameras are standard issue, however, things might be different and Microsoft's format does seem to have advantages over QR Code thanks to its ability to store more information, though the real question will be if consumers are actually interested in this technology.

Note: For more info about barcodes and cell phones, also see our three-part series about the "Scannable World":

• The Scannable World: Mobile Phones As Barcode Scanners
• The Scannable World, Part 2: Scanning Your Web Printouts
• The Scannable World, Part 3: Barcode Scanning In The Real World

CC-licensed image of CueCat courtesy of Flickr user Denn.

Big in Japan called the Target store in question and spoke to the manager, who indicated that she was not aware of the policy. We also contacted Target's corporate headquarters to confirm Target's policy, or lack thereof, but we first had to explain the application to the company representative. They had never heard of such a thing before! (As it turns out, Target has no policy whatsoever on barcode scanning their merchandise.)

The same customer also noted they had visited Sam's Club, where they demonstrated the application to a store employee who seemed "confounded that such technology even existed," wrote the user.

Instant Price Match Is Retail's Future

Although this is just anecdotal evidence from one customer, it's entirely believable that without concrete store policies in place, you're going to encounter rogue employees here and there who have no idea what you're doing and will ask you to stop.

On the flip side, stores that do get hip to this trend may decide to implement store policies that ban scanning, once they realize that customers could discover their high prices. A post on AdLab for example, a blog about advertising and marketing, suggests retailers do just that. They also recommend retailers should consider investing in a a cell phone jammer. They even provide a "No iPhones on Premises" sign for printout.

That doesn't seem to be a very proactive way of dealing with the technology. In fact, it reminds us of how both the music and movie industry attempted to quash the pirating of songs and films: they just tried to make it stop. Instead of going a route destined for failure and trying to shut down barcode scanning altogether, retailers could choose to embrace the trend. They could offer easy-to-find barcodes on their promotional items with signage encouraging customers to compare the price instantly with other stores in the area. They could make barcode scanning the new advertising circular.

Hopefully, stories like those of the Shop Savvy customer will remain isolated incidents and no other store employees will bother customers looking to save money. If you've used barcode scanning applications and have experiences to share, please let us know in the comments.