App for QR Codes

[Konini]

Just been to the supermarket and for the first time had to queue to be able to write our phone numbers going in and again when leaving.  

 

Most people had QR on their phones, virtually no queueing for them.  We've never bothered with the things before but looks like we're going to have to bite the bullet.  The thing is, I have no idea what I need to get to use these.  I looked over the shoulder of one chap and it looked like he was using LINE rather than a reader; could this be true and if so how do I do it?

 

If not, can someone tell me what would be the best thing is for us to install on our phones (both Android) to make going shopping a bit easier please?

[wasabi]

It is possible to use the LINE App. If you go to Add Friend at the top there is a QR Code reader. But after you use the QR code a link pops up. You click the link and then have to check in. Same thing when leaving but you check out.

 

Don't shoot the messenger! I'm just telling you how it works.

[OneMoreFarang]

Just use the search function on your phone. And then there is likely a camera symbol. That switches to your camera and then the camera will read the code.

The code can be from different applications. Maybe it's a link to a website, or maybe for LINE or something else. Try the search and then you should see more info.

 

 

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-scan-a-qr-code/

 

 

[garygooner]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Just use the search function on your phone. And then there is likely a camera symbol. That switches to your camera and then the camera will read the code.

The code can be from different applications. Maybe it's a link to a website, or maybe for LINE or something else. Try the search and then you should see more info.

 

 

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-scan-a-qr-code/

 

 

Don't you just have to download a qr reader app on your pnone and then just simply scan the qr code at the store when you enter and leave?

Stores need to register and get a qr code, but customers don't have to right? 

[Konini]

4 minutes ago, wasabi said:

It is possible to use the LINE App. If you go to Add Friend at the top there is a QR Code reader. But after you use the QR code a link pops up. You click the link and then have to check in. Same thing when leaving but you check out.

 

Sounds ominously easy.  I've just had a thought though, do we need to be connected to the internet to do this?  Neither of us use our phones for anything much at all so having a data package has never made economic sense and it probably never will; nothing has ever been so important to us that it couldn't wait until we get home on our respective laptops, but I have just sat down with a cuppa and found myself wondering how me scanning their code will tell the shop my contact details should someone in the vicinity be diseased. 

 

As you can see, I've never shown any interest in this at all, I wrote code in the 1980's and 1990's for the early days of the internet but the whole tiny screen thing holds no fascination for me (I have to admit to downloading street level maps to the phones when we are doing the tourist thing somewhere we don't expect people to speak English, but find that takes a lot of the fun out of it, not ever being really lost in a strange place any more - some of our best discoveries have been whilst wandering with no idea where we were or how we got there).  We only have LINE for when Mr K goes away on a motorbike trip, the free phonecall facility in LINE is more reliable and considerably better quality than any of the others we've tried with free hotel wifi on one end. 

 

(Can't be doing with video calls though.  Ugh.)

[Crossy]

If you don't have a data connection you need to do the manual process.

[wasabi]

Speaking ONLY from my personal experience today at EmQuartier in Bangkok. I first tried to use a generic QR code reader and it didn't work but then again maybe I used it wrong? I then used the LINE app QR code reader and it did work. It presented a URL which I had to click and then had to fill out some fields. It definitely required Internet access to complete.

[OneMoreFarang]

[topt]

If you do decide to download a QR app I would suggest you check its permissions as many of them were flagged in the past as hiding malware/trackers etc. Possibly look for an open source version if you can.

[Henryford]

It will be a cold day i hell before i submit to this Soviet tracking.

[Jingthing]

19 hours ago, wasabi said:

Speaking ONLY from my personal experience today at EmQuartier in Bangkok. I first tried to use a generic QR code reader and it didn't work but then again maybe I used it wrong? I then used the LINE app QR code reader and it did work. It presented a URL which I had to click and then had to fill out some fields. It definitely required Internet access to complete.

Questions. 

You were able to do that without the government tracking app installed? 

Were the questions that you needed to fill out available in English? 

[cmsally]

In my case it will be Jane Doe to the rescue ...... yet again!

 

 

Don't think my phone ever heard of an app !!!

[wasabi]

10 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Questions. 

You were able to do that without the government tracking app installed? 

Were the questions that you needed to fill out available in English? 

With LINE it basically takes you to a cloud based version of the Gov application. It clicks a link and a little mini version of it runs in the background. I hate to say it but if you want to visit any shops and don't want to have to sign your name everytime then this is reality for the present. Yes there is an English version. I clicked it today and it is a basically a survey about how clean the stores were. 

 

I am curious if the freedoms lost by covid will be restored when the crisis passes. I highly doubt that I think the app will be repurposed purported to have another benevolent benefit.

[Jingthing]

I'm actually OK with checking in and out by scanning the QR codes. I added the QR scanner to Line already. I'm still very confused about the pros and cons of installing the government app or not. Also the English support on both options. I don't want to answer questions blindly in Thai! If there is a big advantage to install the app and/or its actually required to enter places I need then I will. 

 

Another question. 

 

Is this tracking rough or precise?!? 

 

That's a big deal. 

 

Suppose you're in a large store with 300 people and one person shows infected. 

 

Will all 300 be flagged or only those shown to have been physically close to the person? 

 

If it's everyone that is very inefficient. 

[wasabi]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I'm actually OK with checking in and out by scanning the QR codes. I added the QR scanner to Line already. I'm still very confused about the pros and cons of installing the government app or not. Also the English support on both options. I don't want to answer questions blindly in Thai! If there is a big advantage to install the app and/or its actually required to enter places I need then I will. 

 

Another question. 

 

Is this tracking rough or precise?!? 

 

That's a big deal. 

 

Suppose you're in a large store with 300 people and one person shows infected. 

 

Will all 300 be flagged or only those shown to have been physically close to the person? 

 

If it's everyone that is very inefficient. 

I highly doubt its precision and that is one of my main grievances.  I don't want to be forced into quarantine because someone somewhere in Tesco Lotus later tested positive for this virus. In fact I don't even see the benefit of me knowing. Anytime you go out there is a risk. People can be asymptomatic. I may have no symptoms. This app does not make me feel safer at all. I am for collectively defeating the virus through mask wearing and keeping hygenic, but I am not a fan of being treated like a child who cannot be trusted to shop.

Edited May 18, 2020 by wasabi

[vogie]

So just to clarify without internet access you cannot use the QR code reader.

 

I was behind a lady in Makro and when it came time for her to pay for her goods one of these QR images came up on the till and she paid for her goods by putting her phone up to the image, does this work the same way as signing in or does this have to be tuned in to our banks?

[Jingthing]

It's a tool. 

Whether its good and useful is dependent on exactly how it's used. 

If someone was asymptomatic and later tested positive that would be potentially useful to know if the tracking was precise and you knew you had close contact. 

I'm also not optimistic that this tool will actually be used optimally.

But that's out of our control. 

When I say that I am OK with it only mean in the context of being a foreigner abroad and the need to comply with local rules and laws. 

Not the same thing as being thrilled about it or not having strong reservations about how it will actually be used. 

[Konini]

I can understand why they're doing it, it's just very imprecise.

 

The one in Australia is much more intrusive, it works by bluetooth and does a handshake with other bluetooth devices in your close vicinity.  That is much more targeted, there have been complaints about safety of data but the government have (or will?) put it into law that the data cannot be used for anything other than virus contact tracing.

 

The Chief Medical Officer of Victoria (I think) said in an interview words to the effect of we don't want to know that you're out meeting your drug dealer or anything; it won't be used for that kind of thing, just to give you a heads up if you've been close enough to someone to potentially catch coronavirus.

 

There's been a fairly high takeup of it.  If there, I think I wouldn't have a problem installing it except I don't leave bluetooth on because it chews the battery.  I'm a very basic phone user.