I was JUST about to start hacking on something like this. A URL shortener for market and app store URLS that generates QR codes at the same time.

Dammit!

edit: I am even in mid-process of acquiring a .et domain so I could've had http://mark.et/whatever. Gah!

If you're looking for an excuse to quit, you will always find one.

Get back in there and do it! At least then you can say "Google competed with me" :-)

might there be a patenting issue?

edit: see the comment below re: patenting

I bought 'qrko.de' for nearly the same purpose: URL shortening with bit.ly style analytics but with built in QR support (and maybe user-agent tracking. It would be interesting to see the device market share for code scanning)

I'll probably still build it; it bums me out the the goo.gl shortener is semi-closed.

I've also been working on something similar. It's a small world we live in.

Kudos to Google on this. They've really been pushing QR and that's exactly the kind of support needed for it to reach critical mass. Reading QR codes is one of the few ways my Droid can school the iPhone...

http://code.google.com/p/zxing/

Google really could have done a cool thing by etching a unique QR on the back of each Nexus one. Instead we got android.com. Maybe next time.

As far as I'm aware, there are a ludicrous amount of patents surrounding the use of QR-type codes that link to URLs. I remember NeoMedia in particular being singled out by the EFF for having a stupidly sample patent on the linking.

I'm now curious to see who wants to take on Google's strength when it comes to this game ;)

Ok, but does this create a QR code for the original URL, or a QR code that points at Google's shortened URL?

Shortened :(

Something else to checkout with Google and QR Codes is Google's [QR Code Chart API](http://code.google.com/apis/chart/image_charts.html). It is the most dead simple way to create QR Codes that I've found.

Yes, all the URL shortener does is redirect to the chart api.

There are just so many uses for this... Everyone from print+digital content providers (local magazines, papers, etc) to ma and pa IT shops can use such a service...

I know that it's nothing new, but the fact the Google is putting it out there pretty much ensures its wide-spread adoption (more so, anyways)...

Well, CueCat was something very similar, magazines and all. Perhaps it was just a decade too early.

Hm, I can't think of a single good use off the top of my head?

Pretty useless since apparently goo.gl is not even open to the public.

That's brilliant! I imagine that those will be everywhere very soon.

FWIW, in Japan QR codes are already ubiquitous.

Practically every Japanese cell phone has a built-in utility for reading bar codes. Any printed advertising material that contains an URL will also have a QR code.

tongue in cheek, methink?