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Just as QR Codes seem to be appearing in print ads everywhere, Zurich-based startup Kooaba wants to relegate them to history.
"We believe QR-Codes are belonging to an intermediate technology used for things it was never meant for," the company writes in a recent blog post. "Despite the enormous media attention QR is getting, it still is not at a level where people are really using it."
Kooaba's solution? An app called Shortcut that doesn't relay on odd black and white designs, but instead scans print pages themselves and directs users to relevant content online.
The app has been in development for some time, but Kooaba on Wednesday announced a redesign that introduces a Path-like user interface and support for print ads to go along with its database of thousands of major newspapers. Kooaba also renamed the app Shortcut, scrapping the old moniker of Paperboy.
Kooaba says the new interface is more intuitive, and the update also includes features such as double-tap zoom and improved recognition capability.
QR Codes have become a popular way for advertisers to link the physical and digital worlds. When someone sees a physical ad, they can use their smartphone to scan the boxy code box tucked away in one corner and then get brought to a corresponding web page.
But Kooaba says that, "Although QR is being experimented with, we believe it is not really practical for interactive print. It was a makeshift solution, accessible to everyone."
While QR Codes often don't work as intended, the company argues, Shortcut will truly marry the physical and digital realms.