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Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

(slate.com)
527 points lxm | 2 comments | 29 Jun 21 03:25 UTC | HN request time: 0.41s | source
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marapuru ◴[29 Jun 21 12:57 UTC] No.27675145[source]▶
I've had a waiter looking at me puzzled why my phone wasn't able to scan a QR code. I told him already that my camera wasn't able to. But I had to open the camera in front of him.

- "Have you tried rotating the camera?"

- "Try zooming in and out"

- "Why don't you download a QR code app!?"

These questions / remarks were placed by him while showing him it really didn't work.

When I told him I didn't want to download a QR scanner application due to privacy reasons he left with an even more puzzled face as before, to walk inside and finally bring me a paper menu.

These f*cking QR-codes _made_ me an annoying customer.

replies(1): >>27675221 #
m-p-3 ◴[29 Jun 21 13:05 UTC] No.27675221[source]▶
I seriously hope Google pushes their OEM to include QR code support in the builtin camera app.

This should be a default feature.

That said, if you want a privacy-friendly QR Code reader app on Android, Binary Eye is my recommendation.

GitHub: https://github.com/markusfisch/BinaryEye

Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.markusfisch...

F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/packages/de.markusfisch.android.binaryey...

replies(4): >>27675306 #>>27675317 #>>27675406 #>>27675458 #
1. the__alchemist ◴[29 Jun 21 13:26 UTC] No.27675458[source]▶
It's called "Lens" mode in the camera app, and isn't obvious to find, but it's there.
replies(1): >>27678524 #
2. m-p-3 ◴[29 Jun 21 16:52 UTC] No.27678524[source]▶
The average person expects the camera to simply recognize them by merely detecting one in the viewfinder, they don't expect to download an app or press a button to enable the feature.

It's seamless on iOS and on many (but not all) Android camera app.

Also, Lens is most likely uploading all sort of data directly to Google, not the best solution for a privacy-conscious person (I'm aware of the irony of privacy implication when talking of Android, but it's either that or the walled garden of Apple).