What: NYE 2010 presented by Flatform w/Alex Brown
When: Thursday, December 31st, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: Vaudeville Mews, 212 4th Street, Des Moines
Tickets: $10 @ iowatix.com
RSVP on Facebook

And now for the best news evah! – You don’t have to wait until NYE to start experiencing this party. Effective immediately, you must arm your mobile devices with a QR code reader (for iPhone / for other phones), and keep your eyes peeled for the NYE 2010 promo posters while navigating the streets, venues, coffee shops and local businesses of Des Moines. If you see a poster, activate your code scanning app and scan the QR code on the poster. What happens next will blow. your. mind. Dramatic? So is your mom. Scanning the QR code will cause your browser to launch and blast off to an event specific URL. You can also follow along at www.nye2010.info to download digital mixtapes, access limited edition prints, win VIP giveaways and more.

If you’re reading my blog, you’re either rad and/or a geek, so you probably already know about QR codes, especially those of you in the Twitter community who have been sporting QR codes on your TweetUp Badge (thanks, @richdrake) since last spring – but just in case, I bring you this explanation freshly swiped from Wikipedia:  A QR code is a two-dimensional barcoding system created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. QR stands for “Quick Response,” as the Japanese creator behind the idea of the code wanted information to be deciphered at an elevated speed (fast like rabbit). QR codes have been widely used in Japan for years now to link information to objects and spaces such as billboards, magazine ads, buildings, etc., but are just recently starting to catch on in the U.S.

So, what does all of this mean? The idea of linking information to spaces and objects is not a new concept, but the innovation behind QR code technology has simplified the process. Like any other communication technology that makes our lives easier and accessing information more convenient, expect to see widespread use of QR codes in the future and lots of innovation and information connected to locations and objects. Can you think of any other innovative uses for QR codes in Des Moines? Leave me a comment!