The latest on the tiny, timely technology known as the QR code

QR (quick response) codes aren’t new (they’ve been used for years to track car parts in the auto industry), but they’re relatively new to most of us and their use is evolving quickly. After engineers realized that smartphones can serve as barcode readers, they encouraged marketers to rethink the phone as a means of instant entree to a brand’s website or social media site. Proven to increase conversion rates, QR codes, which look like pixelated black and white square mazes, are now integrated in print and TV ads, on storefronts, and on flyers everywhere.

Beloved by marketers because they’re so versatile, QR codes link to sites that can be updated frequently and can entice consumers with “scan to win” scenarios. And here’s the best part: They’re working. In June of 2011, 14 million Americans scanned a QR code; 33 percent of Americans report interacting with a QR code via their TV. And the technology is being applied far beyond the marketing world; an Indiana tombstone company is installing the codes on some grave sites as a way for loved ones to grieve on a shared memorial site; an English police force has included them on billboards to encourage passersby to review a list of “wanted” people; and real estate companies use them to share information and photos about a property.

Though QR codes are touted for their small stature, the world’s largest QR code—10,000 square feet—was just installed on a roof in North Carolina in order to be visible from Google Earth and Google Maps. We wonder: Might this also qualify for a world record regarding the lengths people will go to drive up Web traffic?

Image credit: Creative Commons/scott_bl8ke@flickr.com

There was an interesting review this weekend in the New York Times on iDisorder, a book by California psychologist Larry D. Rosen, who is concerned that the use of digital technologies is actually making some of us mentally ill. He notes, for instance, that heavy use of Facebook has been linked to mood swings in teenagers–a condition researchers are calling “Facebook depression”–and that people who are prone to narcissism, depression, and/or obsessive compulsive disorder are most at risk.

Read the book review here. And watch an interview with Dr. Rosen here.

Mobile commerce is evolving…from food trucks to fashion trucks

Taking a lesson from the established popularity of fashionable food trucks, the retail industry is going mobile as well—with quirky clothing and accessories stores in vehicles as varied as rehabbed double-decker buses, school buses, Airstreams, and Winnebagos. See Wanderlust, which sells vintage and handmade goods in Portland, Ore., from a 1969 converted travel trailer, or The Styleliner, peddling luxury accessories in a former potato chip truck and embarking on “tour dates” around the United States.

These mobile fashion trucks are catching on as a way for entrepreneurs to launch businesses in lean economic times and to embed themselves in all corners of a community. (A group of mobile retailers in Los Angeles have even formed the West Coast Retail Association to unite the many mobile operations in the area, which range from fashion-focused to florists to a barbershop on wheels.)

Most mobile boutiques utilize social media to trumpet their whereabouts for the day, speaking to the natural intertwining of mobile and social. By the way, the U.S. mobile and social markets are expected to explode while the e-commerce market is projected to grow more moderately. That’s why L’Oréal USA recently tested its “mobile taxi shops,” which appealed to New York City taxi passengers to instantly buy the brand’s beauty products via m-commerce-enabled Taxi Shops. In short, it may be smart for marketers to plan a road trip for their next campaign.

There’s a gender gap when it comes to physical attractiveness in the job market

It’s no secret that a pretty face can give job seekers a leg up during the hiring process, but new studies suggest that attractive men have the greatest advantage of all. Possibly that’s because HR departments are staffed predominately by women, who may want to filter out potential competition, but even when it’s men making the decision, attractive men are selected over other candidates. Attractive women are actually at a disadvantage at the hiring stage—they’re less likely to get a callback than Plain Jane counterparts with very similar résumés. However, pretty ladies are more likely to be promoted once they’ve already secured the job.

We wonder: Doesn’t including a photo of yourself along with your résumé whiff of narcissism? Perhaps that’s the point: A new study found that people with narcissistic qualities usually outperform more modest job candidates.

How do we measure attractiveness? Psychologists in China and Toronto found that most kids stop being so unbearably cute at age 4 1/2, as their noses and mouths catch up with their big eyes and heads. For adults, perceived beauty all comes down to symmetry. Men and women both rate the opposite sex as healthier and more attractive when they lay claim to symmetrical faces and bodies. As the “average” American grows curvier and is more likely to be multiracial, what does the All-American beauty even look like these days? Like Angelina Jolie, says one magazine editor. So, you know, just as attainable as ever—for marketing purposes, we mean.

Image credit: www.fashion-doll-guide.com

Umair Haque is Director of Havas Media Labs and author of Betterness: Economics for Humans and The New Capitalist Manifesto: Building a Disruptively Better Business. He is ranked one of the world’s most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50. Follow him on twitter @umairh.

This piece originally was published on HBR Blog Network.

Image credit: Creative Commons/Theo Inglis@flickr.com

In the U.S., the number of folks living alone is eight times greater now than in 1950. In an era in which people tend to couple up and marry later and find divorce more acceptable and accessible if things don’t work out, 51 percent of Americans are single. That translates to roughly 1 in 4 living alone, and not a few of them are unhappy about it.

A new book, Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone, calls the living-alone trend the biggest demographic shift since the baby boom. Many who live alone praise the scenario for allowing them to live by their own rules (staying up all night to read, say), celebrate their quirks (like speaking French aloud during breakfast), and acknowledge their deepest desires (such as single motherhood by choice).

Though it’s become a cultural meme, even a joke, perhaps the biggest fear of the living-aloners is the possibility that they may die alone. In Japan, that possibility has become so commonplace that a cleaning company has sprung up specifically for the purpose of cleaning up badly decomposed bodies.

Regardless of the end results, recent research out of Finland does suggest that those who live alone may find themselves more prone to depression and other mental health problems, with single men singled out as most likely to take poor care of themselves. Those in good relationships enjoy a bolstered immune system and a longer life, suggesting that the growing “together but apart” arrangement may offer the best of both worlds.

Image credit: Creative Commons/sekihan@flickr.com

There are all sorts of questions regarding digital technology and the impact it’s having on society. Some people claim that Google and other online search options are making us “dumber” and that social media will ultimately harm our personal relationships and sense of community. I feel the opposite is true. In my view, digital technologies are already creating a better world for us all. Here’s why:

Digital Technology Is Making Us Smarter

New technologies and platforms, including Google and Wikipedia, offer a shortcut to knowledge—meaning that virtually anyone has the means to become an expert on virtually anything. The Internet is the fastest and simplest way ever created to access information, including academic articles and documents that were once out of the reach to all but a select few. This makes it possible for people outside specialized fields to drill down into topics of interest and learn just about everything there is to know about them.

The Internet also makes us smarter by giving us access to breaking news and information that is both more immediate and more comprehensive than what we ever could have learned through traditional newspapers, magazines, and television. Our ability to tap myriad information channels means we can explore any topic that takes our interest, following breaking news and reading a broad variety of perspectives and analysis so that it makes sense to us.

This new capacity to hunt down information and use sources of our own choosing means we no longer are passive receptors of the news, reliant on statements and explanations from a single authority. Instead, we can form our own views based on the information available to us. And that includes firsthand accounts from people actually experiencing breaking events, not just from news reporters and other paid professionals. Thanks to Weibo (China’s version of Twitter), previously hidden things have become hot topics of conversation, bringing out the voices of grassroots society and linking in conversation people from many walks of life. These new channels also mean there is no longer a lag time. We don’t need to wait till the evening television news or tomorrow’s printed newspaper to find out what’s happening; we can get information immediately, as events unfold—gaining more details and insights as the stories make their way through social media channels.

Digital technology is also making us smarter because we can find answers to virtually any question online. All one needs to do is type one or more keywords into a search engine such as Baidu (which offers China’s version of Wikipedia in addition to standard search services) to get a comprehensive answer. Whether we need to understand something better for school or work or just our own personal gratification, we can dig as deeply as we want online through specialized websites and blogs populated by people eager to exchange expertise, knowledge, and tips.  And the answers come from all over the world; we are no longer limited by distance.

In the past few years, we’ve seen our ability to access and store information grow even stronger, thanks to smartphones and e-books and tablets. We can store thousands of books and articles on our little devices, ready to be used as we need them. And we can instantaneously tap into social networks online to find out what’s happening, in real time.

Digital Technology Is Improving How We Live

The pace of modern life is fast—and only getting faster. In previous eras, we had fewer choices and more time in which to make them. Today, we need all the assistance we can get to make our choices easier and faster, and digital technology helps with that. When it comes to product choices, our new technologies let us know what options exist and allow us to tap into transparent market information and user experiences. Rather than rely on manufacturers’ and retailers’ claims, we can see what the end user is saying and find out whether the product or service is right for us. We can even team up with other consumers to negotiate a special price or other deal. And we can find out instantly about product recalls or other safety issues.

Our new technologies also save time by letting us get so much more done without leaving the house. We can download e-books rather than visit a library, register for classes or apply for a job, and purchase virtually anything we desire for home delivery, from specialty foods and home décor to appliances and vacation packages. We also can make smarter choices about where we go when we do leave the home. We can use Dianping or another social rating site to access restaurant ratings and reviews. We can discover places nearby to explore that we never before knew existed. We can purchase tickets for the hottest concerts and other events.

Digital Technology Is Building Community

Our new technologies are helping people stay closer. In an era in which people move around much more, including living abroad, digital technology is an easy and fast way to stay connected. And social media offers more enjoyable, interactive ways to stay in touch (e.g., games, quizzes, photos, videos)—a lot more fun that the Internet 1.0 means of SMS, email, and chat rooms.

Our new digital tools also allow us to extend our networks easily, building connections with people outside our friendship and professional circles and even outside our countries and regions. They help us to join together with others who have common interests, needs, and abilities, and they allow us to create relationships with people we could never have dreamed of getting to know in earlier times. It’s a whole new way to create “tribes.” And we can build these connections organically or deliberately—by intentionally joining up with groups that we think will be of benefit to us, at work or socially.

Social media also gives us a way to share our day-to-day happenings—with all their ups and downs—with our friends and acquaintances. We can let people know how things are going at work, how our children are doing, where we’re traveling, and however else we’re spending our time without picking up the phone or physically getting together with someone. This vastly broadens our audiences and makes it more likely that we’ll connect with someone who shares similar experiences/passions/attitudes and who may have something to offer us, whether it be a much-needed laugh, a word of sympathy, or a piece of advice or information. We can talk one-on-one or become part of a group conversation, made all the richer by the variety of experiences and viewpoints.

Change always brings with it challenges. And our new digital lifestyles certainly come with their fair share of difficulties. In my view, however, the tradeoff skews heavily in our favor. Digital technologies will continue to make our lives infinitely easier, more productive, and more pleasurable.

Simone Zhang is chief strategy officer of Euro RSCG Shanghai.

Image credit: Creative Commons/schopie1@flickr.com

Internet addiction is real but also really treatable

Many of us are perpetually “plugged in” for work and pleasure, but experts say that some of us have formed debilitating Internet habits. How debilitating? Enough to warrant a diagnosis of Internet Addiction Disorder, likely to be added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) later this month. True Internet addicts may find their personal relationships damaged, as well as their brains diminished (similar to what’s experienced by cocaine or alcohol addicts).

Warning signs of the disorder include excessive preoccupation with and need to connect to the Internet, unsuccessful attempts to reduce Internet use, or acting dishonestly to get or remain connected to the Internet. Sometimes the areas of interest are specific—such as porn, gambling, or games like World of Warcraft—but browsing patterns can be relatively random.

Chinese and Koreans have some of the highest rates of ’Net addiction, though as many as one in eight Americans suffers from the problem, too. Recovering  addicts can use many of the same rules that govern Overeaters Anonymous because it’s not usually possible to avoid the Internet altogether. Limiting use to specific tasks can prove helpful, as well as setting the computer to shut off after a preset time. There are also video-game and Internet addiction recovery programs such as  reSTART in Fall City, Wash., which advocates a “disconnect and find yourself” approach.

Ah, life in the Digital Age…

Image credit: Creative Commons/nataliej@flickr.com

Don’t take it for granted that everyone’s online

Isn’t everyone online these days?! Your grandma may have joined Facebook, but there are plenty more who haven’t, reminds a new Pew poll: Though 88 percent of Americans own a cell phone, one in five adults still does not use the Internet. Nicknamed “Internet innocents,” the people least likely to have Internet access include the elderly, Spanish speakers, those living with disability, those with less than a high school education, and those who earn less than $30,000 per year. These “innocents” say they find the Internet irrelevant to them or that they feel ill-equipped to learn the technology. Still, one in 10 admits interest in learning to use email or Internet. And when a group of elderly nursing home residents were taught to go online, they enjoyed increased well-being and a new way to connect with their families.

But as most of us grow ever more Internet dependent—with “wearable computers” slated to be the next big thing and the ’Net overtaking television as the most used media in Russia—there has been a move toward simpler, more elegant websites. That’s why a throwback social network called Super Dimensional Fortress, or SDF, is picking up speed, with 30,000 members, in spite of the fact that (or, rather, because ) it shuns pictures, videos, and ads. Everything old is new again, it seems—even the Internet.

Image credit: Creative Commons/Spentrails@flickr.com

The mobile wallet gets off to a shaky start

Forgetting your wallet at home may soon be less incapacitating than it once was, so long as you didn’t forget your smartphone, too. This past fall Google rolled out Google Wallet, which stores your credit card information and then allows you to pay at participating stores with a tap of your fingertip. But not everyone thinks that NFC (Near Field Communication) payments are ready for prime time; for one, Google Wallet has been dogged by a revolving door of executives—not a great confidence boost. The European Commission is struggling to create legislation for digital payments and questioning whether the continent’s mobile wallet project is “discriminatory,” as it encompasses only the three largest mobile operators. And some American lawmakers worry that this easy-pay option may be too easy and end up compromising security. But experts say that the data you store in your mobile wallet is encrypted so that it’s more difficult for a thief to access than if he had your credit card in hand.

For all the chatter, we may be four, five, or even 10 years away from seeing an infrastructure that can support mobile wallets. And if you think this tech trend seems futuristic, you ain’t seen nothing yet. More than a few startups are at work building “proximity-based social networks” or “ambient social networks,” which will notify you when someone with similar interests, common friends, or even dating preferences enters your vicinity. And Nokia just acquired a patent for a metallic-magnetic ink tattoo that buzzes each time you receive a text message or an email. Talk about technology that gets under your skin.