WEEKLY WHEATIES #2531
QR Codes, AI in Education, Traveling by the Numbers
In this newsletter:
📝 Post: QR Codes: The Tiny Squares That Do Big Things
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: AI in Education
😎 Pick of the Week: Traveling by the Numbers
📦 Featured Product: Travel Shadow Box
📝 QR Codes: The Tiny Squares That Do Big Things
Last newsletter, I talked about the basics of NFC Tags. This week, I’d like to talk about something similar — QR Codes. Similiar in that they can essentially perform many of the same tasks as NFC tags do. However, rather than scanning them with a chip hidden on the inside of your phone, your camera is used. In the past, apps were required to be able to read them appropriately, but nowadays, Android and Apple’s iOS have both updated their camera apps to convert a QR code from the information included and act appropriately.
If you want a deep dive on the specifics, Vertasium on YouTube did a great video on How QR Codes Work. They are fairly complex for how simple they are, with a few methods of redundancy built in to help if they may be damaged. Essentially, QR codes use black and white blocks to fill in a matrix. This board (imagine a checker- or chess-style board) is composed of different-sized square matrices that are composed of black and white checkered designs.
Regardless of the size of the QR code, these checkered patterns represent a one or zero in binary. There is a specific path the dots take, and based on the binary layout - or sometimes converted to hexadecimal - information is stored. This information can be stored for a ton of different things. Some popular use cases on the consumer side of things can include:
A link to a website, social media platform, or even to open an app
Open a payment processor (Apple/Google Pay, Venmo, PayPal, etc)
Connect to a WiFi network (as it can include the WiFi name and password)
Event ticketing (showing the time, date, venue, seats, etc)
Run a Shortcut (tied into the NFC discussion and home automation posts)
Share contact information (name, phone number, email, etc)
On the business side of things, QR codes are starting to replace barcodes. Barcodes create unique numbers and identifiers for products in stores, but they are also limited in their space compared to QR codes. To show the math… barcodes consist of up to 13 digits, allowing for 10^13 different combinations. On the other hand, QR codes consist of up to 10^7089 different combinations. A VAST difference in the amount of information that can be stored and shared. Even more important here, barcodes can only consist of numbers. QR codes consist of numbers, letters, special characters, and even emojis.
When and/or if they are updated in the future, they may include colors and be able to store images or files. For now, many products sold include a printout including a QR code that, when scanned, loads a website for support, installation instructions, or registration information. Here, the QR codes can be unique to each and every device model, and sometimes may even have the serial number of your product embedded in the code for ease of use, too.
There are so many combinations of QR codes, there is not the same worry of running out of combinations like there are with barcodes. A big difference, however, is that when the modifiers are used to change the sequence of the binary pattern in a QR code, there is a possibility of two (or more) different QR codes providing the same information. On the other hand, these codes and modifiers make it almost impossible for random QR codes to actually work properly.
Think of creating a QR code similar to the English language. We have a finite set of letters that help create words and sentences. Putting random letters together doesn’t always make an accurate word, and picking random words to put together may not always make a coherent sentence. Well, QR codes in a sense must be put together in a certain order, and based on the order and other rules in place, a version of an algorithm kind of mixes things up so it will work correctly when read by a QR reader.
As mentioned, your phone’s cameras will read QR codes pretty easily. But making them isn’t something one can do easily without software. There are plenty of apps and websites that can help create QR codes, so I won’t list them all. I would suggest sticking with apps that have more, higher-quality reviews. And you shouldn’t have to pay for them. Worst case, Bing.com (my chosen search engine) has a QR generator that works fine.
Compared to NFC tags, QR codes can’t be rewritten. Meaning, whatever the QR code is right now is what it will always be. If you plan a big marketing campaign or purchase a bunch of material with QR codes on them, remember that whatever is put on them can never be changed. For this reason, either keep the link something simple (like your main domain.com) or use a link within your domain you control - don’t use Bit.ly or something similar, as you don’t own that link in perpetuity.
As a last thought, be careful when scanning random QR codes - especially if you are unfamiliar with who made it or what it's for. Since they are easy to create and anyone can create one, they are often used for phishing attempts, as well as fraudulent activities. Even the FTC warns QR codes can steal money and install malware. For example, a QR code could be created as an advertisement for ATT with some text that states, “Scan to pay your bill online.” But once the site is loaded, it could be a fake site mirroring the main ATT site in order to steal credit card information. I would be very careful with any payment via a QR code unless you are paying someone in person and they verify that the payment went through.
What other use cases for QR codes have you seen?
🗞️ ICYMI: AI in Education
OpenAI released Study Mode for ChatGPT. This version is different from your standard Chatbots in that it will not provide direct answers when asked and instead uses Socratic questioning while providing scaffolded responses. Most students hate this because it is the equivalent of the teacher turning the tables on them and responding to every question with a “I don’t know, what do you think?” and “Why?” As a professional educator, I think this is great and believe that if schools allow students to have access to ChatGPT, maybe they can simply block all other modes for use?
I say this because it doesn’t look like AI is staying out of the schools. For one, students will use anything and everything they have access to if it helps. Even the federal government is on board. Over 60 Organizations Signed a White House Pledge to Support America’s Youth and Invest in AI Education. Part of this goal is to provide educators with “resources for youth and teachers through funding and grants, educational materials and curricula, technology and tools, and [much more].”
One of the major companies on board, Google, announced updates to its products at the 2025 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). These include: Gemini in Classroom, with more than 30 no-cost AI tools for educators; Gemini for Education, a version of the Gemini app built for education; Expanded access to Google Vids, a collaborative video creation app, for all Education users; and Class tools for managed Chromebooks to help make the most of class time.
With all other updates to AI, it seems inevitable that AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is on the horizon. The timing may still be up for debate, but how about the following headlines to share some insight from some in this space:
😎 POTW: Traveling by the Numbers
Who doesn’t love a great list? How about a list of lists? With all of the travel picks over the last few months I’ve shared, this list encompasses some numbered lists I’ve saved. I’m biased towards the architecture and restaurant stops, but I could be persuaded with white or green sand.
📦 Featured Product
With all the places you may have visited this summer (or plan to in the future), I wanted to share this Travel Adventure Archive Shadow Box someone sent me. Consider filling it up with boarding passes, pamphlets from your favorite attractions, ticket stubs, pictures, outdated passports (even pages ripped from them), or any other tchotchke you collect in your travels.
