QR Code A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be made up of any kind of data. (Wikipedia).

You may already be seeing QR Codes in a magazine advert, on a billboard, a web page, on product labels or even on someone’s t-shirt. It may give you details about that business or details about the person wearing the t-shirt, show you a URL (web site link) which you can click to see a trailer for a movie or find out more information about the product, or it may give you a coupon which you can use to buy online.

The reason why they are more useful than a standard barcode is that they can store much more data, including URL links, geo coordinates, and text. The other key feature of QR Codes is that instead of requiring a chunky hand-held scanner, many modern mobile phones can scan them using their camera.

There are many apps available for smart phone and computers with webcams that allow you to scan and read QR codes. There are many web sites allowing you to make your own QR code to use in documents, business card, product labels and many many more places. We are going to be seeing a lot more of these as they are becoming increasing popular and useful. See example above which links to my web site.