Google

QR Codes: Help

Scattered around Google I/O, you'll find QR codes – two-dimensional barcodes designed to be read by the camera on many mobile devices (with the right software installed).

Depending on the type of code you scan, you'll receive more information about the type of code that has been scanned, as well as access to their Friend Connect profile. In addition, every QR code you scan at the conference earns you points in our mobile scavenger hunt.

Types of barcodes

You'll find three types of barcodes throughout the conference. Depending on the type of barcode scanned, you'll receive different information:

Attendee Badges Imports a copy of the attendee's contact information into your device's contact book.* Also contains a link to the attendee's Friend Connect profile.

Conference Sessions Provides links to common resources for the current conference session.

Landmarks Various locations throughout the conference grounds will have "hidden" QR codes. Try to find them all for the mobile scavenger hunt!

(*): Requires support for reading MECARD-encoded data.

Attendee badges

When an attendee badge is scanned, a copy of the attendee's contact information will be displayed (provided that the QR code scanner understands MECARD-encoded data). The amount of information displayed depends on whether the attendee asked to have this information displayed on their badge during registration.

Additionally, each attendee badge can be paired with a Friend Connect profile. These profiles allow attendees to provide links to their personal homepage and other online profiles. Attendees can also add each other as friends, which will be remembered on other Friend Connect sites.

To setup your own Friend Connect profile, just scan your attendee badge. We'll walk you through creating your profile, and automatically associate that profile with your Google I/O badge.

Scavenger hunt

To help you bond with your phones and the other attendees, we've set up a game around the conference. Scan everything in sight! You'll get points for scanning peoples' badges (try saying "Hi" first), as well as QR codes stuck to various landmarks around the conference.

Every QR code you find at the conference has a point value associated with it. Different types of QR codes have different point values. The first time you scan one, those points will be added to your account. You can scan a barcode as many times as you want, but you'll only get points on your first scan.

The top three scoring attendees by the end of the conference will win some special (personalized!) Google swag! If you're quick, you might be able to get your name on the leaderboard, displayed on various monitors throughout the conference floor.

To view the latest leaderboard statistics, visit the Google I/O Scavenger Hunt page.

Installing a QR code scanner

In order to scan QR codes, your mobile device must have a QR code reader installed. Instructions are included below for Android and iPhone. If your mobile device uses a different operating system, you may be able to find a QR code application online or bundled with your phone.

Installation on Android

To install a QR code scanner on an Android device, follow these instructions:

1. Open the "Market" application from the Android home screen.
2. Press the search button on the Android keyboard and enter 'zxing'. Press [ENTER] to search.
3. Touch the application named "Barcode Scanner".
4. Press the Install button.
5. You will be prompted that the device requires elevated access to your device. Press the OK button to confirm.

Once the application is downloaded and installed, the scanner can be launched by selecting "Barcode Scanner" from the Android home screen.

Installation on iPhone

To install a QR code scanner on an iPhone*, follow these instructions:

1. Open the "App Store" application from the iPhone home screen.
2. Select "Search" a the bottom of the screen. Search for "Barcodes".
3. Locate the application named "Barcodes" by Christian Brunschen.
4. Touch the "Free" icon at the top of the screen. It will change to an "Install" icon.
5. Touch the "Install" icon that just appeared.
6. Enter your iTunes password when prompted.

Once the application is downloaded and installed, the scanner can be launched by selecting "Barcodes" from the iPhone home screen.

Support

If you have any questions or problems, you can email support at googleiofc-support@google.com for assistance.

We'll also have engineers available via IRC in #googleio on Freenode to answer any quick questions you might have.