The city of Santa Monica and the environmental group, Heal the Bay, have partnered to bring QR codes to the Santa Monica beach.
In an effort to encourage beach users to keep the beach litter free, QR codes have been put on rubbish bins on the beach. Beach goers can scan the QR codes with their smartphones and be taken to the Santa Monica beachcast website where they will find information on the local weather, beach conditions and water quality. It is hoped that this will build a sense of community and make beach goers proud of their beach and more likely to place litter in the rubbish bins.
In a similar “smart” move, the city of Santa Monica has installed smart parking meters with QR codes. Drivers can download an app which enables them to pay for parking using the credit card linked to the app. The parking meter texts the driver the location of their car and as their parking fee is about to expire, gives them the option to pay more and extend. Linked to the meter is a wireless sensor, located under the parking space, which senses when a driver pulls away – and zeros the meter – ensuring no other drivers can nip in and use up their remaining parking fee.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9728921.stm