QR Codes: mysterious square 2D patterns

© Mark Ollig

We see and scan them every day: those small black-and-white squares made up of grid-like patterns representing digital data arranged in complex code.

These patterns employ various two-dimensional (2D) algorithms and error correction mechanisms to store different types of data, all scannable with our smartphones.

A Japanese company, Denso Wave, a subsidiary of Denso, and its development team led by Masahiro Hara introduced Quick Response (QR) codes in 1994 to improve inventory tracking.

The term “Quick Response code” originates from its ability to be rapidly scanned and decoded by a QR scanner or your smartphone’s camera, providing quick access to its encoded information.

A QR code is composed of visual binary data in the form of black squares on a white grid pattern, allowing it to store data both vertically and horizontally in two dimensions.

This unique pattern enables it to hold more information than a traditional one-dimensional (1D) barcode, which can only encode data horizontally.

Two decades before QR codes, product information was printed on attached barcode labels featuring a pattern of black stripes and white gaps that encoded data as binary digits, ones, and zeros.

Barcodes with varying lines and spaces represent specific information through differences in thickness.

A clean and clearly printed barcode with a strong contrast between dark bars and light spaces is necessary for accurate scanning.

Fifty years ago, on June 26, 1974, a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum was the first commercial use of a barcode when it was scanned at Marsh’s Supermarket in Troy, OH.

In 1992, Masahiro Hara was involved in the development of barcode scanners and optical character recognition (OCR) devices.

“Workers had to scan as many as 1,000 barcodes a day, which wasn’t very efficient. We needed a compact code that could store more information, including Japanese characters, and could be read quickly,” Hara said on Denso’s website.

“We will develop a compact code that can store more information, including kanji and kana characters [Chinese characters that represent whole words or concepts in Japanese], and at the same time can be read at higher speed,” he added.

His team at Denso Wave set out to design a coding system, which led to the development of the QR code.

It is said the idea for the QR code data patterns originated from a 2,500-year-old Chinese game called Go, a strategy board game visually comparable to QR codes. Go uses black-and-white elements on a grid to represent strategic game positions, and QR symbols use black-and-white squares to represent data.

Initially, QR codes required a separate software programming application for scanning the code’s data, as early phone cameras had difficulty interpreting them.

Today’s smartphones are equipped to read QR codes using the phone’s camera, and if that fails, one can install a QR code reader app.

QR codes link to websites, text, images, videos, apps, social media, virtual business cards, events, and even restaurant menus.

I recall first seeing QR codes displayed around 2007 in magazines, posters, stationery, and business cards.

Sunday, I was traveling on Highway 7 to Winsted, passing through St. Bonifacius, when I saw a QR code on a highway billboard, which surprised me.

I mean, taking your eyes off the road to focus on your phone to scan a QR code increases the risk of a crash, and at 65 mph, a car travels approximately 95 feet per second.

We should be aware that some QR codes may be malicious, leading to phishing sites, malware, or redirecting users to harmful content.

Fortunately, many modern smartphone camera apps include a safety feature that often displays a preview of the web link or file name embedded within the QR code, allowing users to assess its legitimacy before proceeding.

The research firm Statista projects that the number of smartphone users in the U.S. scanning QR codes will increase to around 111.3 million in 2025, compared to the 89 million users who did so in 2022.

Create your own unique QR codes using Bitly, an American company based in New York, at https://bit.ly/3XxSsYc.

Find it with a smart tag

© Mark Ollig

There have been times when we have found ourselves searching for lost keys, wallets, or the car we parked somewhere.

In the American Wild West era, human trackers were skilled at finding people lost, missing, or on the run from the law.

I recently purchased an electronic digital tracker, a smart tag called the Samsung SmartTag+, which is compatible with my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G phone.

Other smart tag makers include Tile Inc., an American company owned by Life360, and AirTag, owned by Apple, Inc.

Smart tags can be fastened to things you want to be able to track on a map or find if they are lost.

They are commonly attached to luggage, electronics, car keys or keyless fobs (frequency-operated buttons), pets, and, yes, kids.

One can also leave a smart tag in the car to make it easier to find, especially in those huge parking lots.

SmartTag+ came with a simple-to-use Quick Response (QR) Code to install the SmartThings app on my phone. The app can manage up to 200 SmartTags. Your phone needs to have at least the Android 11 operating system.

My phone uses the Android 14 operating system.

The SmartTag+ includes 512KB of flash memory, measures 1.54 inches long by 1.54 inches wide, and weighs 0.46 ounces.

It operates using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology for tracking and does not require a Wi-Fi connection.

BLE was developed to exchange data over short distances between devices and uses little energy because it stays in sleep mode until it needs to connect.

Depending on the environment, the BLE SmartTag+ nominal range is up to several hundred feet from the attached device to your phone.

However, suppose your SmartTag+ Bluetooth signal gets too far away from your phone.

In that case, the SmartThings Find network will help you find it, tracing your tagged items location through other attached devices using the SmartThings Find network service, which employs other Samsung Galaxy devices to relay your SmartTag+ location securely and anonymously.

So, when your SmartTag+ tracked item is lost, it can still be located even if it’s out of your phone’s Bluetooth range, thanks to the SmartThings Find network. Other Samsung users with compatible Galaxy devices might unknowingly help you find your item by simply being near it.

Items tagged with Apple’s AirTag can also be found if they are out of Bluetooth range using other Apple devices connected to their Find My network.

UWB is a type of short-range wireless communication (usually around 30 to 60 feet) using extremely high frequencies for precise location tracking within a shorter range.

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) created IP (Ingress Protection) ratings in 1989 to classify the level of protection of an electronic device casing or housing enclosure. Of course, at first, I thought IP meant Internet Protocol.

The SmartTag+ has an IP52 rating, meaning it offers decent protection against dust and light splashes of water but is not suitable for harsh environments or being submerged in water.

In 1994, Sweden’s telecommunications company, Ericsson, created Bluetooth for short-range wireless mobile phone communication with a headset, computer, or other devices using the 2.4 GHz frequency band.

The name Bluetooth was inspired by King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson, a 10th-century Danish king.

In my car, I synchronize my Android phone to my laptop using an app called Phone Link. Bluetooth connects my phone to the car’s infotainment display screen.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has a superior tracking range to Bluetooth because the GPS network of earth-orbiting satellites tracks items in real time over long distances worldwide.

GPS uses satellite radio signals designated for commercial/civilian GPS devices. Its other signals are used with the military’s extremely accurate GPS network.

Even if your car has a GPS, a Bluetooth tracker can be helpful; if your car’s GPS becomes disabled or you are in an area with weak GPS signals, a Bluetooth tracking device’s location could still be determined.

Bluetooth trackers are much more affordable than GPS tracking devices. I paid $22 for my Samsung SmartTag+, and various Bluetooth tracking tags were priced from $20 to $50.

Bluetooth trackers use batteries that need to be replaced periodically, on average, every one to two years. The SmartTag+ CR2032 battery will last up to 500 days. The SmartThings app allows you to check the battery’s level.

Bluetooth’s accuracy is reliant on signal strength and proximity.

KeySmart, a Los Angeles company, created the thin tracker called the KeySmart Card, which one can put in a billfold.

Its Bluetooth technology is designed to work exclusively with Apple iOS devices. The card can be tracked using Apple’s Find My network from iOS devices.

The Orbit Bluetooth Tracker is a small device that can attach to your glasses frame and works with Apple’s Find My network through the “Orbit app” on your iOS device. It is priced at around $45 and is not compatible with Android.

Tile, Inc., is releasing new versions of its Bluetooth trackers, including Tile Mate, Tile Slim, and Tile Sticker. These trackers can be securely attached to various surfaces (including eyeglass frames) and work with the Tile app on iPhones and Android phones.

As for the SmartTag+, I keep one in my car.

Samsung SmartTag+, a digital tracking smart tag compared to the size

 of a quarter.

(photo by Mark Ollig)

Reaching the moon: 65 years ago

© Mark Ollig

On Jan. 2, 1959, the Soviet Union launched the Luna 1 probe (Lunik 1) toward the moon using its Luna 8K72 rocket.

In Latin and Russian, “Luna” and “Lunik” mean “moon,” respectively, with “Luna” commonly used today.

The 8K72 rocket was derived from the R-7 missile, which had originally been developed as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Luna 1 missed its intended lunar surface impact by 3,700 miles and continued past the moon; its batteries became drained 62 hours after launch, at a distance of 370,000 miles from Earth. 

It ended up becoming the first human-made object to enter a heliocentric orbit, circling the sun.

Luna 2 was launched on Sept. 12, 1959, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, USSR.

Once the Modified SS-6 (Sapwood) rocket, a variant of the R-7 missile, broke free from Earth’s gravitational pull, Luna 2 detached from the rocket’s third stage and began its journey toward the moon, traveling at a speed of approximately 25,000 mph.

Luna 2 released bright orange sodium gas from its containers at about 97,000 miles from Earth to aid in tracking the spacecraft and studying the behavior of gaseous fumes in space.

The Luna 2 spacecraft weighed 860.2 pounds and carried two scientific instruments to the moon: a Geiger counter and a triaxial fluxgate magnetometer powered by a 360-volt battery.

The Geiger counter on board the Luna 2 spacecraft studied the electron spectrum of the outer Van Allen radiation belt.

The triaxial fluxgate magnetometer collected data on the spacecraft’s location and navigation and the Earth’s magnetic field composition.

The Luna 2 spacecraft transmitted data to Earth using radio telemetry while en route to the moon.

On September 13, 1959, at 4:02 p.m. CDT, in Minnesota, the spherical-shaped, multiple-antennae Luna 2 spacecraft stopped transmitting its radio signals, confirming its impact on the moon, which was 234,140 miles from Earth at that time.

Luna 2 became the first spacecraft from Earth to make physical contact with a celestial body within our solar system.

Since the Luna 2 spacecraft did not contain an independent propulsion system, it could not perform a controlled power descent to land safely on the moon.

Instead, the spacecraft intentionally crashed on the lunar surface between Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis at 7,382 mph.

Pieces of Luna 2 now lie about 30 to 35 miles south of the Autolycus crater and approximately 160 miles southwest of the Apollo 15 lunar module Falcon’s July 30, 1971, landing site, near the Hadley Rille in the Palus Putredinis region of the Imbrium Basin.

Pentagonal metal sphere pendants with the USSR hammer and sickle on one side and the launch date on the other were scattered across the lunar surface by Luna 2’s crash, as they were designed to do.

Professor Bernard Lovell, director of the Jodrell Bank Radio Astronomy Station in England, wrote a Sept. 28, 1959, article in LIFE magazine about his tracking Luna 2 to the moon to prove it was not a “faked mission.”

Lovell was able to verify the reception of the Luna 2 telemetry signals using the giant radio telescope at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire, Northwest England.

He shared Luna 2’s signals with American counterparts, saying: “I held the transatlantic telephone to our loudspeaker so they could hear the bleeps [audible radio signals] for themselves.”

Lovell described the signals as “strong and clear” before they abruptly stopped, indicating Luna 2 had hit the moon.

July 28, 1964, NASA launched Ranger 7 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., which became the first U.S. spacecraft to take close-up photos of and make contact with the moon.

Ranger 7, using its high-gain antenna, sent 4,316 photographs of the lunar surface to Earth.

On July 31, 1964, Ranger 7 took its last two photos of the lunar surface from heights of approximately 3,510 feet and 1,702 feet just before intentionally colliding with the moon.

On April 20, 1967, NASA’s Surveyor 3 lander safely landed on the moon and, for 14 days, sent data back to Earth used for the upcoming Apollo moon landings, including 6,326 TV pictures from the lunar surface.

On Nov. 19, 1969, the Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Conrad, Jr., and Alan L. Bean landed their Intrepid Lunar Module approximately 590 feet from Surveyor 3.

The next day, they visited the Surveyor 3 site.

The astronauts took out the television camera and other parts to bring back to Earth. Scientists studied how the lunar environment affected these human-made materials during prolonged exposure.

On Feb. 22, 2024, the Texas-based Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, named Odysseus, touched down near the moon’s south pole.

Despite tipping over, the uncrewed lander operated for about five days, conducting experiments and sending data and images to Earth.

On June 1, 2024, Chang’e 6 landed on the far side of the moon, collected lunar soil samples, and returned them to Earth on June 25, 2024.

China aspires to send astronauts to the moon by 2030 and establish a research base at the lunar south pole, an area believed to contain water ice.

I sense a new space race beginning.

NASA photo from Dec. 20, 1972.
Apollo 17 astronaut Charles Conrad. Jr. (Commander) inspecting the Surveyor 3 lander.
The photo was taken by Alan L. Bean. (Lunar Module Pilot). The Lunar Module, Intrepid,
is seen about 590 feet in the background.

Smartphones (and radios) in the classroom

© Mark Ollig

Those who went to high school with me will recall the only telephone we had access to was the payphone on the wall next to the trophy case.

In today’s school environment, technology is integrated into the learning curriculum. Students use their smartphones to access the internet and the web, research subjects, and connect with family, friends, and social media.

The first commercial 1G cellular telephone network was activated in Chicago on Oct. 13, 1983.

The first commercially available handheld mobile cellular phone used on this network was the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, often referred to as “The Brick.”

The Oxford English Dictionary states that “cellphone” was first used as a single, unhyphenated word in the magazine Cellular Business on Nov. 24, 1984.

Over the past 40 years, the cellphone has evolved far beyond its original purpose as a calling device into a powerful smartphone packed with cutting-edge technology and features.

However, we still call it a “cellphone,” as the term is commonly used and understood in everyday conversation.
As a retired telephone guy, one comparable analogy is touchtone and rotary dial telephones.

Although touchtone pushbutton phones have replaced rotary dial telephones, we still say “dial the phone number,” not “push the buttons of the phone number.”

Come to think about it, we also say, “Call the number.”

In 1997, the term “smartphone” was used to describe the Ericsson GS88, a prototype cellular mobile phone developed in Sweden that included a monochrome touchscreen, stylus pen, keyboard, email, text messaging, web browsing, and computer connectivity.

Although approximately 200 GS88s were manufactured, none were ever sold to the public.

For today’s column, I will sometimes use “cellphone” as a general term to encompass both basic cellphone and smartphone technologies.

Students do use cellphones for study and research while in school; however, concerns about their distractions and misuse in the classroom have led to certain restrictions being put in place.

Some people view having a cellphone in the classroom as a temptation to get the answers for tests and quizzes.

There is also concern about recording audio or taking photos and videos of students and teachers without their consent.

In May 2023, the Governor of Florida signed House Bill 379 into law, which became effective July 1, 2023. This bill restricted the use of cellphones in classrooms during school hours and regulated students’ use of social media on school Wi-Fi networks.

Section 1006.07 of the Florida Statutes requires that school districts’ codes of student conduct prohibit student use of wireless communication devices during class time.

The Florida Statute allows teachers to establish classroom rules of conduct, which could include collecting cellphones before class or confiscating them if students use them during class.

Section 3 of House Bill 379 states: “Prohibit and prevent students from accessing social media platforms through the use of Internet access provided by the school district, except when expressly directed by a teacher solely for educational purposes.”

In California, Assembly Bill 4216 is slated to take effect on July 1, 2026. It requires school districts to establish and periodically revise policies regarding the restricting or prohibiting of students from using smartphones while at school.
Minnesota enacted Statute 121A.73, also known as the “School Cell Phone Policy,” during its 2024 legislative session. It went into effect on May 18, 2024.

Subdivision 1 of this statute requests the Minnesota School Boards Association to develop a model policy addressing the possession and use of cellphones in schools by Dec. 15, 2024.

Subdivision 2 decrees that Minnesota school districts and charter schools adopt their policies regarding cellphone possession and use in school by March 15, 2025.

Statute 121A.73 requires these policies to be included in the student handbook and readily available on the district or charter school website.

Other states, including Virginia, Louisiana, and Georgia, have also introduced legislation restricting cellphone use during school hours.

Studies have shown a strong linkage between young people’s hours of online social media and gaming using smartphones and other devices with compulsive “screen time immersion,” an addiction seen as a serious problem among the youth of today.

By restricting phone use during class, it is hoped that students will direct their attention to the subjects being taught and participate more fully in classroom activities.

A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that over 95% of teenagers have access to smartphones, and 54% admit that giving up social media would be challenging.

Pew also reported that 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a significant problem in the classroom.

Back in the mid-70s, when I was in high school, you’d often see me walking the hallways and into classrooms with my Panasonic portable radio held in one hand and a stack of textbooks tucked under my arm.

During breaks in classroom instruction, my radio sometimes played the top hits from stations like WDGY and KDWB, filling the room with music, much to the appreciation of the other students, and at times triggering a raised eyebrow from the teacher.

Back then, if I had wanted to bring my phone into a classroom, it would have been attached to a mile-long telephone cord from my house.

Of course, we did have the payphone.

A picture from the 1975 Winsted Holy Trinity Yearbook
 shows a classmate was talking on the payphone
 next to the trophy case.