Optishare is a QR code generator for the iPhone and iPod Touch, available on the Apple App Store. You can encode contacts, web addresses, or other text into a QR code which you can display on screen for others to scan, or save to your photo album so you can email it to others.

If you like Optishare, you may be interested in Optiscan, also available on the App Store, which includes all the features of Optishare, but also includes an ultra-fast QR code scanner using the iPhone camera.

QR Codes

• What is a QR code? A QR code is a square matrix code designed by the Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The “QR” comes from “Quick Response” as these codes were designed to be decoded rapidly. QR codes are easy to recognise as they always have a bordered square in three of the four corners.
• Who uses QR codes? QR codes are still new in the UK but are rapidly becoming more popular. Harrods used QR codes in their April 2008 advertising campaign designed to appeal to a more tech-savvy market. The Pet Shop boys used QR codes in their video for “Integral”. The film 28 weeks later had a large QR code billboard in London advertising the film and many Nokia phones now include a QR Code scanner.

How do I create a QR code using Optishare?

You can create a QR code using the share tab. The following types of data are supported.

• Contact. Select the Contact icon on the share tab, and choose a contact name from the contacts list. After you have selected the contact, you can select which information you want to include in the QR code (for example you may not want to send home phone numbers). Press the OK button, and you will see the QR code.
• URL. Select the  URL icon on the share tab, and then type in the URL. After you have finished press the “Done” key on the keyboard and the QR code will be shown. There is no need to type in “http://” in front of the URL.
• Note. Select the note icon on the share tab. Enter the text that you wish to use and press the OK button on the top right of the screen.

How do I use a QR code I’ve made with Optishare?

• Scan it. If someone else has a camera phone with a scanner, they can scan the code directly from the screen. Or, buy Optiscan.
• Save it. QR codes you’ve generated are automatically saved to the history, but you can also save frequently used items within Optishare, to the “Saved” tab.
• Export it. You can export any QR code you generate to the photo gallery. Create the code, touch and hold on the QR code on screen, and select “Save Image” from the pop-up. From the Photos application, you can now email it to anyone you like.