We’ve never been really been big fans of QR codes. The cases where technology’s been put to good use have been few and far between (only TESCO Homeplus’ use of QR codes to create an entire virtual subway supermarket store targeted at busy professionals comes to mind).
But here’s a startup that aims to use QR codes in a different way. Instead of using it for marketing purposes, FinderCodes LLC (www.FinderCodes.com) has created a patent-pending, electronic lost and found system for consumers that combines the use of mobile phones, QR codes and apps to help recover lost items.
The AT&T-branded FinderCodes kits, available as seven different products, blend scannable QR codes, smartphones, the Internet and durable identification tags to enable a quick, secure and hassle-free return of lost valuables – including pets, electronics, sports equipment and more. The idea is dastardly simple – users simply create an account with FinderCodes, providing relevant contact information. They then register the tags that come in the kit to any item that can be lost. When the item is lost, and then subsequently found and the QR code scanned, the owner will be immediately notified. Owners can even entice finders with a reward for returning the item.
“Our lost and found solution not only gives consumers a chance for getting their lost items back, but also assists well-meaning people to more easily return found property,” says John Valiton, CEO of FinderCodes. “We are helping to solve a common problem by creating a safe, hassle-free return system.”
