To QR do us part
By now you have all heard about QR codes (Quick Response). Although Canada is taking what feels like forever to adopt the technology, QR codes are practically everywhere in Japan. They are used on everything from fortune cookies to escalator handles.
Now, I think Japan has taken it a bit too far. Japanese gravestone maker Ishi no Koe ("Voice of the Stone") recently announced plans to begin selling gravestones with the two-dimensional bar codes embedded into them.
By simply snapping a shot of the tag with their cellphones, visitors will be able to view photos, videos and other information about the deceased. The device would also keep a log of each time the code was scanned so family members can keep up to date with when other relatives last visited the site.
In the future, Ishi no Koe hopes to use this technology to develop a new way to pay respect to the dead that wouldn't require you to actually be at the cemetery in person. The company sees this as an alternative especially fitting for today’s younger generation.
I wouldn't be surprised if brands begin advertising via QR codes on gravestones - "did your husband pass away? Try our new dating site to find a new one"
What are your thoughts?
