Google Launches Goo.gl Site With QR Surprise

Surprise!

Link shorteners are helpful to keep a link short and sweet, but they're nothing new. Even though there are plenty of link shortening options out there, Google is pressing onwards with the next step in its own service.

Previously available only through Google's software, now the Goo.gl shortening service is available through the web browser. Simply hit http://goo.gl/ and get your links done.

There's even a secret to the Google URL shortener – it can make QR codes for you simply by adding .qr at the end of the link.

For example, turning http://goo.gl/kKf0 into http://goo.gl/kKf0.qr makes this:

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Top Comments

20 Ð

bebangs , October 4, 2010 3:12 PM

Hmm... i'd love to play with QR codes.

Links - http://goo.gl/IBEO

Create QR code. Send as postcards. I Win.

Other Comments

-1 Ð

the_krasno , October 4, 2010 3:05 PM

That is kinda neat, QR images look pretty awesome imo
20 Ð

bebangs , October 4, 2010 3:12 PM

Hmm... i'd love to play with QR codes.

Links - http://goo.gl/IBEO

Create QR code. Send as postcards. I Win.
3 Ð

micr0be , October 4, 2010 3:13 PM

nice! this is actually extremely useful for smartphones.
7 Ð

JOSHSKORN , October 4, 2010 4:17 PM

Useless!

bebangsLinks - http://goo.gl/IBEO

OK maybe not so useless after all.
-1 Ð

N.Broekhuijsen , October 4, 2010 4:56 PM

bebangsHmm... i'd love to play with QR codes.Links - http://goo.gl/IBEOCreate QR code. Send as postcards. I Win.

I am speechless! Indeed you win!
0 Ð

kronos_cornelius , October 4, 2010 5:16 PM

QR code is pretty popular to advertise Android apps. That way you can shoot the monitor with your phone if you want to download the app.

we'll see QR codes everywhere in the future to load up menus in restaurants, animal's info in the zoo's etc. Too bad I have not found a way to add a business plan to that wave.
-2 Ð

harth13 , October 4, 2010 5:57 PM

so?
0 Ð

alidan , October 4, 2010 5:59 PM

kronos_corneliusQR code is pretty popular to advertise Android apps. That way you can shoot the monitor with your phone if you want to download the app.we'll see QR codes everywhere in the future to load up menus in restaurants, animal's info in the zoo's etc. Too bad I have not found a way to add a business plan to that wave.

to bad i already have, and i will start the patent process tomorrow, or copyright or something, something so that every time someone uses a qr code for that purpose I get a penny. ill probably be set for life
0 Ð

mosu , October 4, 2010 6:24 PM

To alidan: Tomorrow will be too late.Sorry!
-5 Ð

vsgm , October 4, 2010 6:28 PM

http://goo.gl/qM4N
0 Ð

kikireeki , October 4, 2010 7:21 PM

More Show Than Go.
0 Ð

Camikazi , October 4, 2010 8:47 PM

bebangsHmm... i'd love to play with QR codes.Links - http://goo.gl/IBEOCreate QR code. Send as postcards. I Win.

DAMN YOU!!! I can usually avoid Rick Rolls, got me with that one
2 Ð

theoutbound , October 4, 2010 8:53 PM

QR codes or no, do we really need another one of these things. I swear Tom's RSS feeds this morning are full of Google not invented here stories. First WebP and now this. What's next? Google invents new internet, claims old internet is too slow because it's a series of tubes.
-1 Ð

xyster , October 4, 2010 11:05 PM

totally awesome.
-1 Ð

anonymous@guest , October 4, 2010 11:21 PM

@theoutbound

Google invents telepathy (as powered by android) iPhone no longer required....
0 Ð

rantoc , October 4, 2010 11:44 PM

Yeah this is great in a way, VERY BAD in another. Reading the real Url helps a lot of people to avoid bad sites, i REALLY hope Google make sure they only have links to legitimate sites before this could become a worse security risk than it already is!
0 Ð

COLGeek , October 4, 2010 11:52 PM

That one looks like a butterfly. The second one looks like my mother. The third one looks like your mother. The fourth one looks like......
-1 Ð

bin1127 , October 5, 2010 12:43 AM

finally QR in North America. No more of those 100 random character links.
-3 Ð

shoshu , October 5, 2010 2:45 AM

stupiiid !
0 Ð

lathe26 , October 5, 2010 4:08 AM

Google missed a fundamental scenario: web link rot.

If I need to change where my shortened URL points to, I can't do that with Google's solution. Now I have get a new QR code as well. I'm left with a stack of printed business cards, postcards, flyers, or whatever that I need to pay $$ to get reprinted.

Microsoft Tags have better functionality (for now).

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