I have never had a mobile (cell) phone before, until about 2 weeks ago. I have always resisted, feeling that I did not need one. About a month ago though, I decided that the time had come, and that it might now be useful. And so I am now the owner of an Android smartphone.
I realise that for some, today’s post is going to be gobbledegook to you. And until a few weeks ago, it probably would have been for me too! I apologise if this post boggles your brain or completely bamboozles you.
Having a smartphone means that I can now investigate some things that might be useful for me to use with my business. Things like apps and QR codes.
I have looked at QR codes (2 dimensional barcodes that can be read with certain phone apps – there’s one shown on the right), and wondered if they can be useful to me for Vetty Creations. I think the answer is yes, but only in some circumstances.
If you are not reading this on your phone, and have your smartphone handy, you might want to see if the QR code shown works for you. If you can let me know what happened when you did, that would be great (and whether you have an iphone, ipad, android phone or windows phone or something else…?) You’ll need a QR code reader app to do this. The one I have is Google Goggles. I’m not saying its the best one or recommending it particularly, its just the one I have.
If you’re reading this blog post on your phone, then I have no idea how you’re going to use that phone to scan a QR code that is on its screen! (You can’t!) If you are reading this on your phone though, then that would be very interesting for me to know too.
Now, what that QR code is supposed to do is to take you to the Vetty Creations website. Hopefully that is what it did do! However, it is the full website. If I do anything (like really try to implement them, rather than playing around with them like this) I’ll need to have at least some or all of the Vetty Creations website converted into a mobile version, so that it doesn’t eat up all your download capability in one hungry go!
Would a mobile version of the Vetty Creations website be of interest to you? I’m not entirely sure how necessary it might be. Those of you with smartphones, are you likely to want to order Vetty Creations products on your phone? Or would you just wait until you got to your laptop or desktop computer to do it?
Lots of new things to think about – things I had never considered before…
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
I just tried the code with my Android tablet (a Xoom) and it worked just fine. Your site looks beautiful on a tablet! On a mobile phone it might not be so great, so a mobile version might be a good plan for that, but I’ll let someone with a phone deal with that topic.
Thanks Dangermom! (…which is of course a fabulous moniker!) I tried it on my mobile yesterday and it looked very cute and small. LOL
Works fine with my iphone 4S – took me straight to your site and looks great on the screen!
Thanks Michelle!
I use iphone 4s. The code does not show on the email in my iphone. When I get to your site using my iphone, it works.
So Antonia, am I right in thinking that you don’t get the code in the email of the post that has been sent directly to you? But when you access the post on my blog, you can see it? If I understand correctly, that’s rather strange. Do you normally get the photos coming through in the emails of the posts? Thanks for your assistance!
When I get your blog email(this topic) through my iphone, I open the email, there is a box and it is empty. I tap on the box and it open up another page with the code and I can see it clearly on the screen. When I go to your blog using my iphone, I see the code there straightaway, no need to do anything. When I open your email regarding this topic using my pc, the code show up on the email.
I don’t remember normally get the photos coming through in the emails of your posts through my iphone. But just because this time, you mentioned about testing, I pay more attention.
From now on, I will pay more attention to this and give you feedback when it is necessary.
Thanks Antonia. Maybe it comes through with the empty image box so that you have the choice to download the image or not? I do appreciate the feedback. Its very interesting!
I’ve not yet found a QR Code Reader that works on my tablet (an Acer Transformer), but it worked perfectly on my husband’s Blackberry!
Thanks Rachel. It must be a little frustrating for you with your tablet! (Only if its something you *want* to work, though – QR codes aren’t really the most important thing in the world, after all!)
I read it easily with the QR reader on my Droid Razr mobile phone. It went straight to your website. Yes a mobile site might be nice, but really it is probably only worthwhile for your shop to make it easy for people to buy. Since I’m in the US, that probably won’t be me.
Of course, the app will be a world-wide thing and easy to purchase through app stores or from your website as it is all electronic. You might also consider doing future books as eBooks. I have a Kindle Fire which is so much easier to take along to workshops and places where a book or two might be handy than to carry the books themselves.
I just bought a copy of your Left-Handed dictionary and came onto your website and blog to see if I could find more information on the samplers you did for the book illustrations. I’m right handed but my best embroidering friend is a lefty and this just might be her birthday present this year, along with some handspun, handknitted socks. By the way, I LOVE your book! i have quite a few stitch dictionaries and this is by far the most comprehensive and clear. But the one time I really want to know more about the samplers, not a page has been spent on the topic!
As you might have been able to tell, I am an early adopter of technology (I *must* have the newest and best as soon as possible! cannot get enough high tech) and have worked in computers and telecom for all of my working years. I got my first cell/mobile phone 20 years ago and have had a smartphone since they first came out! I’d love to be in your app group if it is still open.
Hi Wabbitco,
Thanks for all your comments. 🙂 You do know that there’s a right-handed version of the book as well? I do get orders from the US and all over the world, so people ordering long-distance isn’t as surprising as you might expect.
I suppose you’d like me to write something about the samplers then? 😉 Keep an eye on the blog.
Thanks for visiting!
Yvette