QR Codes and MS Tags can connect books to online material

The demand for printed books is falling because of the Internet and digital alternatives. Encyclopaedia Britanica which was first published in 1768 will stop publishing their print edition from this year.

In case of rapidly changing subjects like technology, printed books can't keep pace with online content as it can be updated easily and frequently. Moreover, having rich media in online content makes it more appealing than books.

It is now possible to have the best of both worlds. Authors & publishers can choose to place mobile barcodes like QR Codes or MS Tags in the printed material on topics that can change, to connect readers to updated material on the book's website. This can improve the longetivity of a book. QR Codes and MS Tags need a smartphone app to enable the redirection from the print medium to a web page. The URLs thus exposed through printed tags can be tracked.

Lee Lefever's upcoming book 'The Art of Explanation' will have 16 QR codes that will redirect readers to online material like videos.

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Visual tags: Microsoft Tag vs QR Code