iGoogle is a personalized adaptation of the Google search engine. It enables you to include widgets, tools, catalog the subscribed RSS feeds and everything else. Now, Google Gadgets is an ensemble of widgets that can be added to the homepage of iGoogle or any other personalized website. You can utilize these widgets when you visit iGoogle’s homepage; a widget like the QR-Code generator is the most common amongst the lot. It’s flexibility and ease of utility allow it to be easily embedded within the iGoogle homepage.

Generating the QR code:

At first, during the shortening of a URL, creating a QR code seems like a good idea. In case there is any need of generating unique QR Codes for your print or mobile advertising scheme, QR-Code generator is a way to make it happen. The entire process is quite simple. You can just type out or paste a URL in the text-box, then press the button ‘shorten’, and the new long/short URL is shown at the very top of URL list. Then there is the choice to track the click activity for every one of the URLs that have been created. In order to test the QR Code, simply click on the link ‘details’ to get the bar-code like display along with a few links. You will be able to see what you would expect, a QR code, the short URL and the long URL.

Additional cautions and glitches:

It seems only logical that Google would give the option of functionality to create and save the codes on the page, but unfortunately they didn’t. The usability team should take a look in this section because it looks like everything was put together in a short span of time.

QR code generator in Google has the limitation of encoding URLs only. For any other marketing needs, for instance, using a QR code design in the form of a dialer, encoding of contact information, the user needs to go somewhere else. Other limitations include levels for error correction that can’t be specified or other options normally accessible in QR code generators which can’t be used, like the option to specify the display size. But for a simple URL, it is alright.

The newly created URL produced by the Google platform is not very efficient while including it in an email or tweet. It simply directs the user to the new QR code, which in turn has to be clicked to access the full information. Hence, it is nothing but putting an additional step between the customer and the content. This application is surely a right step in the correct direction, but the functionality lags drastically. Google is telling the marketers to use a two-QR code platform in order to satisfy the entire range of needs, which is not likely to happen. Also, there is no well known 2D code leader in the United States as of now, and it will require companies like Google some time to step in to set a certain standard for a 2D code. For this, Google needs to expose more of the functionality and QR Code platform to take the lead.