Author: Amanda Giasson

QR codes are liked more than previously believed

| July 24, 2014

According to a recent report, consumers like using quick response (QR) codes to make in store purchases.

The latest study form Nielsen found that consumers who use their smartphones to make purchases in physical stores, prefer to make mobile payments that involve QR codes, and that 45% of the 3,784 respondents said that they use this particular system to check out with their mobile phone.

40% of consumers surveyed use mobile apps as their preferred way to pay for merchandise.

The over 3,700 survey participants were made up of individuals who were 18 years of age or older and who had used their mobile device (tablet or smartphone) for banking, shopping, or paying within 30 days of the survey taking place. The income of users who carried out mobile payments varied extensively. For instance, the report found that the highest usage occurred among consumers who made over $100,000 and less than $50,000.

According to Nielsen’s analysis, “Digital is starting to transform how consumers pony up cash for their everyday purchases.” It added that “for consumers using mobile payment technology, digital is already the norm.”

qr codes are liked by consumersIn addition to QR codes, other digital payment methods that were popular among mobile users included NFC (near field communication), such as Isis and Google Wallet, and using a mobile phone scanner to scan a code.

QR codes make mobile transactions easy for cashiers and customers.

The quick response code mobile payment method is easy for both the cashier and the consumer because all the cashier has to do is scan the QR code on the consumer’s phone just as they would any bar code. Once scanned, the payment is processed and completed.

When these cubed-shaped codes first became trendy, they were popping up on everything, everywhere, from product packages and brochures to museums and restaurants. However, these codes, which have the ability to store a considerable amount of digital data, have been losing ground and some people feel that they have become irrelevant. That being said, considering the responses Nielsen received for its study, it’s clear that when it comes to the realm of mobile payments, QR codes are well liked by consumers.

Augmented reality gaming tested on Google Glass

| July 22, 2014

Blippar demos ar game on Google’s wearable tech.

The augmented reality company has dedicated itself to finding a way to combine the digital world with the physical world and recently took another step forward toward its goal by running one of its AR games on Google Glass for the first time.

A simple game using Glass demonstrates the first steps of gesture interaction.

According to The Next Web (TNW), Blippar used Kung Food for the test. A pretty basic game that is not unlike the popular mobile game, Fruit Ninja, Kung Food revealed what playing a game on Glass could be like one day. To play, all that is required is the Blippar Glass app and a poster that is used for the game. Players use the “mouse” button on the side of Google Glass as the blasters controller. The object of the game is for players to slash at food that flies at them in 3D space to stop it from “splattering” their face.

Since the game is played with Glass, both of the player’s hands are free, which is a key point for playing the game and illustrates the start of gesturing interaction using this head mounted wearable device. Blippar CEO Ambarish Mitra said that the augmented reality gaming technology is still in its beginning stages. In the company’s short demo, the Glass device overheated within a matter of minutes of continuous use.augmented reality - games and wearables

Although earlier this year, in February, Blippar demonstrated its AR app using Glass at Mobile World Congress, this is the first time that is has been demoed as a gaming platform.

Blippar is not limiting its augmented reality technology to gaming.

“Our ambition is to build a browser where you just look at things and you get spontaneous information, whether that’s some [sort of] utility or something entertaining… When we think of mobile we don’t define mobility and restrict it to your mobile device itself. Mobility is a lifestyle choice,” Mitra said.

The company’s vision extends beyond augmented reality mobile entertainment. It wants users of mobile devices to have an optional layer of information available to them whenever they need or want it, whether it is looking at products to obtain additional information or to play a game when they are looking to amuse themselves for a few minutes.