In Sterling Heights, Michigan, a teacher and her students have worked together to enhance education.

Sterling Heights, Michigan teacher, Christine Kincaid-Dewey, has worked with her students from the Macomb Mathematics, Science and Technology Center (MMSTC) in order to use QR codes to help to enhance the experience visitors receive when they head to the Nature Center in the city.

As a result of their efforts, the teacher and students have been recognized by the city as “Nice Neighbors”.

The “Nice Neighbor” award was presented to the group by Recreation Supervisor for the city, Mark DiSanto. Following the presentation, DiSanto explained that “Mrs. Kincaid-Dewey and her students undertook a project to bring Quick Response Code technology to the Nature Center’s many exhibits.” The aim of the project was to allow visitors to scan QR codes while at the Nature Center so they can learn more about the exhibits than would be possible to add to display signage.

The QR codes were used to automatically direct smartphone users to the information specific to each exhibit.

Mobile device users can scan the QRcodes with any free reader app. These scanner applications are available at virtually every app store for devices on nearly every platform. Upon scanning the barcodes, the device automatically directs the user to a URL containing the relevant information.

DiSanto said that “Mrs. Kincaid-Dewey and her MMSTC students developed unique QR codes that provide unique and interesting facts about the exhibits being viewed,” and went on to add that “This information makes the exhibits come alive in a way that is simply not possible through traditional means.”

Another advantage to using quick response codes is that it is very easy to digitally update the information without having to change the barcode. This process is much more challenging when it comes to having to alter printed signage at an exhibit.

Kincaid-Dewey explained that her inspiration for the project she completed with her students was from previous visits she had made to the Nature Center with the MMSTC Ecology Club and their interest in giving back to it in a helpful and meaningful way.

The country’s cell phone market has now broken through that tremendous milestone.

The latest data with regards to the mobile trends in India have now been released and have shown that from September to October 2015, there was a 0.7 percent increase in the ownership of cell phones, bringing that country over the billion user mark to reach 1.03 billion device users.

This fascinating insight was released very recently by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

Now that India has reached this milestone in its mobile trends, it has become the second country in the world to have achieved it (the first one having been China). The population of the country is about three times that of the United States and it has recently become a vital new market for smartphones and other mobile devices. Though there are only four major carriers for mobile service in the United States, India boasts a dozen that are all competing to obtain contract subscribers.

Due to the massive mobile trends for competition in the country, subscribers pay some of the lowest bills in the world.

A number of factors, including the tremendous competition in India for customers has made sure that Indian mobile device users are paying some of the lowest monthly charges on the planet. This massive and rapidly growing and evolving market has also presented opportunities to companies from other countries. Virtually every corner of the globe is looking at India’s market and is hoping to try to carve out their own segment of it for themselves.

Though the insight from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India includes all types of cell phone, another important mobile technology trend currently underway in the country is the adoption of smartphones. While the United States continues to be one of the top markets for the very high-end and flagship devices from manufacturers, Asia is a haven for entry-level and mid-range devices.

As people in India hop on the mobile trends for replacing basic cell phones and feature phones with smartphones, manufacturers have been scrambling to offer consumers across the country the type of deals and opportunities that will encourage them to choose them over the competition.