Your Smart Phone just got a whole lot smarter.

Posted by Apple FCU on Feb 2, 2011 in Deals, Saving, Spending | 1 comment

Ever been flipping through a magazine and noticed that little black box that looks like a barcode? Well, many companies have started using 2-D barcodes (sometimes called QR codes) to connect you to more information on their products and services. A couple great examples of how some companies are pushing the innovation envelope:

1. Starbucks. Being a Starbucks Gold Card holder (yes, I’ve had so much Starbucks coffee they issued a special gold card full of rewards), their new Mobile App has been extremely helpful. This new application allows baristas to scan the 2-D code off my smart phone, deducting the price from my registered card. When money runs out, I just add more to the mobile card using the app. Now, I don’t have to keep track of my Starbucks card, it’s always on my phone! Oh, and you don’t have to be a gold-card-carrying-coffeeaholic like me to take advantage. For more information, visit http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/mobile-apps.
2. Smithsonian.  I can’t wait to go try this one, at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. Ever wonder what you would’ve looked like as a Neanderthal? Stop by the exhibit where you can scan their code to become a part of the MEanderthal exhibit. Once scanned, you’re taken to a website that allows you to take a picture of a friend or family member with their smartphone. Then you can superimpose an image over the photograph that shows what they would’ve looked like as a Neanderthal 30,000-50,000 years ago!

 Be sure to download the Scanner App (there are many free versions available) for your phone so you can start enjoying the benefits of the 2-D Codes today!