World of QR Code plugins

Posted on Thursday, 17 May 2012

Introduction

Esponce – The industry’s most powerful QR Code API 3 is released. To demonstrate the REAL POWER of QR Code API 3, we are delighted to introduce our QR Code plugins for various applications: WordPress (short code & widget), Blender, Adobe Photoshop CS3, Inkscape, Google SketchUp, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Outlook.

How do plugins work?

Esponce QR Code plugins extend supported applications with a QR Code generator. You can generate different QR Code types: vCard, meCard, bizCard, text, URL and change fonts and colors. On the user’s request a window or dialog is usually displayed where the user enters content and clicks a button to generate and insert the QR Code into the workspace. The user can then further manipulate the QR Code, e.g. change size or add overlays.

For simplicity, the Esponce plugin uses web service (API 3) to generate a QR Code matrix, i.e. the position of the black modules in a QR Code. The matrix is then passed to an application to render the final image or object. Input of the QR Code is defined by the content and parameters while output varies among applications.

What are the limitations?

Applications are written for a specific task, e.g. WordPress for writing blog posts, Word for writing printable documents, Outlook for sending e-mails, etc. Plugins are customized to fit into each editor, so there is no general plugin that would work for all applications. The downside is that each plugin must be installed manually for each application, but hey, once the plugin is installed it is easy to use, right?

A version of the base application must also be compatible with its corresponding plugin. There may be some minimum version defined, but this should generally work fine with updates / if you use the latest versions.

Plugins are lightweight and use web service to generate a QR Code matrix, so an internet connection is required. Single transfer takes less than a kilobyte of data!

Supported applications and practical scenarios

Users who frequently create QR Codes want to keep things as simple as possible. Plugins are here to accelerate and simplify QR Code generation. See the demos below.

WordPress plugin

The package for WordPress consists of two features: widgets that are displayed in the side-bar and short codes that are inserted into the blog post through the editor.

Microsoft Office plugins

A package of plugins is available for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Supported only in Windows and Office version 2007 and 2010.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 script

Adobe Photoshop supports .jsx scripts. Scripts are not optimized for speed, but may save some time by doing tasks automatically or repeatedly. The QR Code script is also useful for tweaking or reusing the code in other scripts.

Blender script

QR Code in 3D modelling applications may make less sense but you can create QR Codes as random blocks to play with, e.g. simulations, dynamics, animations, etc.

SketchUp script

SketchUp is frequently used in architecture, to make a quick sketch of a building and put it on Google Maps. Maybe you can find a QR Code interesting feature to include in real-estate…

Inkscape plugin

Inkscape 0.48 comes with integrated features for generating classic barcodes and DataMatrix code. This plugin makes it possible to generate QR Codes.

Where can I get the plugins?

Download QR Code plugins at http://code.google.com/p/qr-code-plugins

Installation instructions are described by each plugin.

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Esponce QR Code platform (version 4)

Posted on Thursday, 26 January 2012
Today we are releasing the last part of 4th version of our Esponce – QR Code marketing platform. We have received so many massages of support and feedback in anticipation. This update is THE BIGGEST we made so far. Comments are welcome!

The strongest QR Code API in the industry

Esponce is moving into the cloud. We have done our homework and based on the fact that 60% of all Esponce users are generating QR Codes via API, we decided to bring up the ultimate QR Code API.

Our new REST Web service API is about much more than just generating QR Codes through API as it is in effect, putting the power of online Esponce services into your hands. Create code, manipulate and update code, pull out statistics for you or your clients, develop apps at your end with the help of the REST API.

We are very proud to announce that today we have released version 3 API Beta This is setting a new standard for the brilliance of Esponce.

REST API documentation

White Label solution

If you are familiar with Esponce services you can start offering these services as White Label solutions to your clients. Esponce product + White Label Seal gives you the power to rebrand and resell products as if they are yours.

The White Label seal is a very powerful set of services that you can customize within your account. You can use your logo, your domain name and URL shortener and then let your clients login. Having the White Label Seal activated means that your clients won’t see any mention of Esponce.

More about White Label solution

Better Mobile Apps

The world is going HTML5 and this is especially important for mobile content to be viewed perfectly across mobile devices. Create once and ship for all mobile devices.

We have optimized Mobile web apps so that they are easy to build and deploy. Now you can create custom dynamic pages as well and all error pages are part of White Label solution.

More about Mobile Apps features

Small improvements are everywhere

Real life scenarios bring up BUG’s. The majority of these bug’s have been addressed and fixed with the great help and fabulous feedback from our users.

  • UI/UX improvements
  • vCard generator is improved with 2d phone, fax and state field
  • Improved main statistics and export for QR Codes tracking
  • Better Mobile apps – landing page and substructure for creating static pages
  • Better statistics for Mobile Apps
  • Error at sweepstake module
  • Better error pages for QR codes and Mobile apps (supporting White Label solution)
  • Time zone improvements across the all QR Codes
  • New Dashboard
  • New payment configurator
  • More comprehensive FAQ page
  • Bug at tracking grid with less then 50 codes
  • Small bugs at customise QR code generator
  • Optimized HTML Markup for faster loading
  • Better alerts and notifications
  • Bug at Twitter handle validation for Mobile Apps
  • Bug at creating Mobile OS code for iTunes and iTunesReview
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Esponce – the QR Code reader for the Windows Phone

Posted on Thursday, 19 January 2012

The QR Code scanner for the Windows Phone is finally published on the Windows Phone Marketplace. What makes this custom QR Code reader really special are extra features that allow you to Generate QR Codes on your phone, view the history of scanned codes and track them in a professionally designed layout.

How the QR Code scanner works

When scanning a QR Code the reader will recognize the pattern, decode the code, and format the content in a human friendly way. The user can easily click on a link to open a website, open a location on map, view contact card, view video or image… Internet connection is recommended but not always required.
Esponce windows phone qr code reader

Download Esponce QR Code reader for Windows Phone by scanning the code below

Features

The main feature of the application is the ability to scan and decode a QR code and when you scan the code you have a history tab of all scanned QR codes. The application has a track tab that shows you activity on tracking QR codes (view scans by day, manufacture, device model and location) and as an extra feature it is integrated with an online service QR Code platform. You can also generate QR Codes right on your mobile phone and send it to an e-mail address.

Features:

  • Scan code, send via e-mail or save
  • Generate code and send via e-mail
  • History of all scans
  • Track scans
  • Geo targeting
  • Analytics and graph report
  • Vibrates or sounds when scanned

QR Codes are ubiquitous now

We share the opinion of Matthias Galica who “believes that QR codes have changed the way people consume services and products” which he quoted in an article in “Marketers embracing QR codes, for better or worse” on CNN.

esponce-download-windows-phone-reader

Try it out

There are many QR scanner’s on the market already and we are giving our 5 cent worth too.

Give Esponce a try and scan away!
Check the app on Windows Phone Marketplace or scan the code with Windows Phone to download the app!

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Featured on Behance.net

Posted on Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Avivo’s Art Director Denis Olenik is featured on Behance.net. That’s awesome dude!

Featured on Behance.net

Selection of logos from 2010-2011 from Denis Olenik on the Behance Network

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