How it Works
- When a CloudSticker is printed, it is assigned a random code (the CloudSticker Key) and an associated web address ("URL") that are reserved, pending activation, in our database.
- The first time a CloudSticker is scanned by a registered CloudSticker user, it becomes Activated, and the user who activated it becomes the Owner of the CloudSticker Key and URL. Note that the Owner is not necessarily the user that originally printed the CloudSticker.
- The Owner of the CloudSticker can then supply content using the built-in StickerNote editor, or specify a "Redirect" to another URL anywhere on the web. The owner can also set various options and view the history of his or her CloudStickers through the online CloudSticker.com account.
Every other QR code you've ever seen encodes a pre-existing piece of data, or encodes a URL that points to some pre-existing web content.
A CloudSticker is different: fresh off the printer, a CloudSticker's QR code represents a unique URL that points to a reserved placeholder for content that doesn't necessarily exist yet. When you activate the Sticker by scanning it for the first time, this reserved spot on the web becomes yours. You control it, supplying your own content using the built-in StickerNote editor, setting the options, and tracking the Sticker's history.
Example: You just got a new microwave oven, and you'd like to record the purchase info for future warranty purposes and keep it where you can find it later. A smart idea is to put this info online and "link" to it with a QR code stuck to your microwave. CloudSticker makes it much easier:CloudSticker
You already have some pre-printed CloudStickers, so...
- slap a CloudSticker on your new microwave
- scan it with your smart phone to Activate
- add some notes about where/when you bought it, etc. using the built-in StickyNote editor, and maybe include a link to the user's manual on the manufacturer's website
You'll be able to retrieve or update the info when you need it, by scanning the sticker, or by searching in your CloudSticker.com web account.
"Normal" QR Codes
You must create or find an appropriate web URL first, so...
- use a third party site like Google Docs or Evernote to create a new web document specifically for the microwave.
- set the "share" settings and get a linkable URL
- go to a computer that has a printer
- find a site that can create QR codes, and create and print the code for your new URL
- go back to your microwave and tape the QR code to it
You'll be able to retrieve the info later by scanning the QR code -- unless the URL for your document changes, in which case you'll need to print a new QR code. If you want to find the info from your web browser, you'll need to remember which external system it's stored in.
CloudStickers have a lot in common with the wildly popular yellow (or pink or blue or...) paper sticky notes. The reasons sticky notes are so useful include:
- no preparation needed
- location matters: "here's what you need to know when you're here"
- they don't take up much space
- lots of different uses
- easily recognizable
CloudSticker has all those attributes too! But technology brings some added benefits:
- update the note content remotely from anywhere, any time
- content size not limited by sticker size
- list, search, organize your notes from any desktop or mobile web browser
- you can control who can read, or update, your note
- include links to images, video, other websites
- track who read your note, when, and where
- allow note readers to send you a message from your note
Search and Track your Collection
Because every CloudSticker has an entry in your account, and because all scans go through the CloudSticker system, you can:
- organize and search all your Stickers
- log activity including activation, edits, and (optionally) scans
- update links to other sites without printing a new QR code
- disable scanning for a Sticker without physically removing it
- edit content using a simple editor, no extra web publishing system needed