Consumer Escapes - QR Codes

My contact information in QR code

I remember when we were kids riding our bikes and someone would yell out, "I know a shortcut." When the shortcut worked out it was great. Sometimes we ended up on a dead-end street and had to double back.


Today's technology is much the same. Many digital shortcuts are true time-savers. For instance knowing the commands to cut, copy, paste, close and my personal favorite "force quit." And some technology shortcuts are dead-ends. Like sometimes clicking on this blog.


One that holds great promise is the QR code, or Quick Response code. Often I receive a business card and have to type all of the data into my phone's address book. (Beaming on a Palm Pilot, now that was a shortcut.) Now with a QR code reader all of the data can be captured and transferred in a blink. Give it a whirl.

Consumer Escapes - Grabbing the Remote

Last week I was hopped up on DQ Blizzards. Now I'm excited about an online promotion from Klondike Bars.

The Klondike Everyman Challenge states that since the dawn of time, mankind has worked unflaggingly to expend as little energy as possible. Innovations such as the lazy susan and the moving sidewalk — the inventors of which are now both, of course, household names — are proof that an enduring legacy is only earned through a lasting contribution to one's own lethargy and the lethargy of future generations.

In their "Grab the Remote" video contest, can you reach the remote control without getting off your duff? The site says, watch Adam Corrolla show you how to harness your man-genuity. 

While I'm not a huge fan of user generated content (UGC) when home alone I've been guilty of watching something unwanted on television 'cause I was too lazy to get up and find the remote. Guess I've got about a week to experiment with duct tape, a AAA battery, and a small fishing rod. Enjoy ...