QR Code Integration

[+ktemplin]

QR codes are everywhere and I was thinking how it would be cool to get it into Geocaching. Just think about it, put a QR tag on caches and travel bugs for quick actions. If you scan it from the Geocaching mobile app scanning it, the specially formatted code would make it as found or discovered. If a muggle finds it and scans the QR code from any other app, it will pull up a Welcome to Geocaching page instructing them what to do.

 

Personally, I think it would be cool having a travel bug with a QR code on it.

Edited March 7, 2012 by ktemplin

[+Binrat]

It's catching on QR Code Geocaches

 

Also with some TB's QR code Talkers

 

There are a number of websites that you can create your own QR Code and decode them if you don't have a reader. I have also see Microsoft Tag Codes appearing as well.

 

Binrat

[+GeoBain]

QR codes are awesome. It's amazing just how simplified it can make the entire process. For your basic match stick case micro, a QR code could serve as a pretty easy and quick method for logging your capture of the cache.

 

I just found a cache today with a QR code in it. I captured the code immediately and still haven't got around to logging the cache.

[+kunarion]

I just found a cache today with a QR code in it. I captured the code immediately and still haven't got around to logging the cache.

What info was in the code? Just the GC number? Or the whole URL to the cache page?

 

I've placed a GC code on one of my Travel Bugs, but it's the TB number only. That's what I'd probably use for TBs (or Geocoins), since it's most similar to writing down the number or taking a photo of the tag. I haven't put them on my caches, since I haven't figured out what would be most useful, but I'm guessing that the shortest version of the URL would be best.

Edited March 7, 2012 by kunarion

[GOF and Bacall]

I just found a cache today with a QR code in it. I captured the code immediately and still haven't got around to logging the cache.

What info was in the code? Just the GC number? Or the whole URL to the cache page?

 

I've placed a GC code on one of my Travel Bugs, but it's the TB number only. That's what I'd probably use for TBs (or Geocoins), since it's most similar to writing down the number or taking a photo of the tag. I haven't put them on my caches, since I haven't figured out what would be most useful, but I'm guessing that the shortest version of the URL would be best.

 

How about the log page?

[+SKAMS]

Currently, when i click the button "transfer to phone" there's just a message which states (political correctly) "We have a mobile app but it does not support this.".

 

#1:

Just enable a QR-Code import in the mobile applications.

And then simply display the qr-code on the website in the cache details, the search results, book mark list or the map popup on the website.

 

Proposed format: coords.info/GC1234 or http://coords.info/GC1234

 

#2:

Also an alternative (extended) format would make sense. To transfer waypoints directly to fellow cachers with another account there should be a qr-code also/only containing the cache coordinates.

 

That way you could transfer the coordinates of a solved mystery (when caching together) or a waypoint simply from phone to phone. (show the qr-code on the display)

Proposed format: gc=GC1234|wpt=...|lat=...|lon=...

Edited March 19, 2012 by SKAMS

[+ktemplin]

 

#1:

Just enable a QR-Code import in the mobile applications.

And then simply display the qr-code on the website in the cache details, the search results, book mark list or the map popup on the website.

 

Proposed format: coords.info/GC1234 or http://coords.info/GC1234

 

 

I was playing around with this and here is the result:

 

 

This may be a decent solution to allow muggles and non-muggles to scan the same thing. When I scan this the geocaching.com app would ask me if I wanted to open on the website or in the app. After enabling cookies in my iPhoneevery time, now everytime I scan this it goes directly into the app and pulls up the GC.

Edited May 11, 2012 by ktemplin

[jri]

Currently, when i click the button "transfer to phone" there's just a message which states (political correctly) "We have a mobile app but it does not support this.".

 

#1:

Just enable a QR-Code import in the mobile applications.

And then simply display the qr-code on the website in the cache details, the search results, book mark list or the map popup on the website.

 

Proposed format: coords.info/GC1234 or http://coords.info/GC1234

This may be a decent solution to allow muggles and non-muggles to scan the same thing. When I scan this the geocaching.com app would ask me if I wanted to open on the website or in the app. After enabling cookies in my iPhoneevery time, now everytime I scan this it goes directly into the app and pulls up the GC.

This is probably the best way of putting geocache information into a QR code. The coords.info codes are short, so they make for small barcodes that print clearly and scan easily. They are quite flexible too: as well as codes for geocache listings, you can use them for waymarks, trackables, log entries, map coordinates and maybe more. The best bit is that if you don't have a geocaching app installed (or the app doesn't understand them), then you still get to a web page that tells you something helpful - useful for muggles who come across the code in the wild.

 

#2:

Also an alternative (extended) format would make sense. To transfer waypoints directly to fellow cachers with another account there should be a qr-code also/only containing the cache coordinates.

 

That way you could transfer the coordinates of a solved mystery (when caching together) or a waypoint simply from phone to phone. (show the qr-code on the display)

Proposed format: gc=GC1234|wpt=...|lat=...|lon=...

 

The folks at zxing have already proposed a format to encode a location (see http://code.google.c...hic_information), but the basic format just encodes the coordinates:

 

geo:55.96185,-5.70193

Since zxing's QR scanner library powers many of the Android barcode scanners, this should be fairly well supported in terms of scanning, but at the moment not many apps know how to do anything with the coordinates. On my Android phone, Barcode Scanner gives me options to view a map or get directions. Viewing a map gives me the option of Google Maps or a GPS app I have installed (GPS Status). Geocaching Apps could easily hook in to the same mechanism. If you use GMaps, you can also add a Google search query in to the QR code, letting you pass a label along with the coordinates, so a marker shows up:

 

geo:55.96185,-5.70193?q=GCT7FW@55.96185,-5.70193

It works nicely in GMaps, but it would be great if there was a more standard way of passing details, less tied to Google. Other possibilities might be to encode cut-down versions of .LOC, .GPX or .LMX files into the QR code.

[+scrapcat]

They already made travel bugs with QR codes http://www.cacheboxstore.com/the-code-travel-tag/

[stebu]

I was playing around with this and here is the result:

 

 

This may be a decent solution to allow muggles and non-muggles to scan the same thing. When I scan this the geocaching.com app would ask me if I wanted to open on the website or in the app. After enabling cookies in my iPhoneevery time, now everytime I scan this it goes directly into the app and pulls up the GC.

Is there a special QR code that allows insertion of a picture? (as the gc logo in the bottom right corner)

Or is the code so error tolerant that it can cope?

[Andronicus]

Why on earth would you want the GeocachingLive app to scan a QR coed for the cache. It would be much easyer just to select "Create Log" button on the app rather than opening up a QR scanning applet within the app, then scanning the app, then doing the exact same thing that the "Create Log" button already does.

 

However, great idea to put a QR code into or on your cache for people with a smartphone who either don't use the app, or who don't know what geocaching is. I have done that with a number of my caches.

[+ktemplin]

I was playing around with this and here is the result:

 

 

This may be a decent solution to allow muggles and non-muggles to scan the same thing. When I scan this the geocaching.com app would ask me if I wanted to open on the website or in the app. After enabling cookies in my iPhoneevery time, now everytime I scan this it goes directly into the app and pulls up the GC.

Is there a special QR code that allows insertion of a picture? (as the gc logo in the bottom right corner)

Or is the code so error tolerant that it can cope?

 

QRCodes have about a 30% fault tonerance built into them, so all I did was overlay the GC logo ontop of the QR code JPEG inside MSPaint.

 

I got the QRCode from qrdroid.com , saved as jpeg.

[+ktemplin]

Why on earth would you want the GeocachingLive app to scan a QR coed for the cache. It would be much easyer just to select "Create Log" button on the app rather than opening up a QR scanning applet within the app, then scanning the app, then doing the exact same thing that the "Create Log" button already does.

 

However, great idea to put a QR code into or on your cache for people with a smartphone who either don't use the app, or who don't know what geocaching is. I have done that with a number of my caches.

 

At first it was just to get to the cache faster so you do not hang around that long. In and out as fast as possible. After I thought about it more, I came up with a new idea. I posted it a new thread QRCache to dicuss this.

[jri]

Is there a special QR code that allows insertion of a picture? (as the gc logo in the bottom right corner)

Or is the code so error tolerant that it can cope?

QRCodes have about a 30% fault tonerance built into them, so all I did was overlay the GC logo ontop of the QR code JPEG inside MSPaint.

You can also turn the QR code into a picture by changing the colour of the pixels. As long as you keep a decent degree of contrast between the dark and light ones, it should still scan OK.

[+maxx borchovski]

Folks, I love technology but should we just be adding QR codes to caches for the sake of using this technology? So far nobody has suggested any innovative uses for the code. Using it to open the app on your phone will save a couple of button presses. Using them to log your find is a bit limiting, we already see lots of TFTC logs, this would only encourage people to leave generic logs rather than a short note about the cache experience.

Surely there is a more creative use we could find for the QR code. How about encoding a link to a website with more info about the area you are in, give the cache finder a richer experience when they find the cache. Use in puzzle caches to reveal clue answers via a web page. There are countless ways to get free web site space and tools to help make simple web pages. Use the QR code and associated web page to give the clue to the next stage in a multi or puzzle.

[+frinklabs]

QR codes are dangerous.

 

It makes less sense to scan a QR code than it does to click on link in an unsolicited email -- at least you can see where the link is going before you click on it.

 

Increasingly, QR codes embedded in emails are causing them to get filtered as malicious.

 

http://qrworld.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/qr-codes-viruses-should-we-panic/

 

http://mashable.com/2011/10/20/qr-code-security-threat/

 

http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/09/30/be-careful-where-you-stick-your-camera-some-qr-codes-are-dirty/

 

http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2012/06/12/bob-rankin-can-qr-codes-spread-computer-viruses/

[+NYPaddleCacher]

QR codes are dangerous.

 

It makes less sense to scan a QR code than it does to click on link in an unsolicited email -- at least you can see where the link is going before you click on it.

 

That's only true if you use a QR code reader that doesn't display the URL (if it has one) and giving the option of navigating to that URL. Fortunately, there are QR code readers that *do* give you that option.

[+Mallah]

I like the idea of these as ways of validating a find, just as Garmin are doing with their system which also has an option to validate via a number direct onto their GPSr (or some at least) And given the issues we've had over wet logs etc it could be a viable alternative to wet bits of paper in caches - especially as most of those only include signatures rather than anything interesting about their visit.

[+thebruce0]

QR codes are dangerous.

 

It makes less sense to scan a QR code than it does to click on link in an unsolicited email -- at least you can see where the link is going before you click on it.

 

That's only true if you use a QR code reader that doesn't display the URL (if it has one) and giving the option of navigating to that URL. Fortunately, there are QR code readers that *do* give you that option.

 

This.

 

QR Codes are just encoded text.

It's the app that decides what to do with it. A QR-encoded URL is practically just like a ROT-13 encoded URL. Some scanner apps though will recognize the decoded URL and jump to the page.

 

Don't use a scanner that does anything with the decoded QR code without either showing you the result first, or asking what you want to do with it. QR Codes themselves are just harmless tools for information transmission.

[team tisri]

I like the idea of these as ways of validating a find, just as Garmin are doing with their system which also has an option to validate via a number direct onto their GPSr (or some at least) And given the issues we've had over wet logs etc it could be a viable alternative to wet bits of paper in caches - especially as most of those only include signatures rather than anything interesting about their visit.

 

It will be interesting to see if TPTB, who don't want to bring back webcams and virtuals over concerns relating to the lack of a log book, will be interested in using QR codes to do away with log books.

[+niraD]

It will be interesting to see if TPTB, who don't want to bring back webcams and virtuals over concerns relating to the lack of a log book, will be interested in using QR codes to do away with log books.

Interesting? Only if you enjoy watching paint dry, watching grass grow, etc.