What the heck is that funny looking, pixilated image over there?

It’s a Quick Response code, or QR code for short, and they are quickly becoming the newest darlings of the marketing world.

What exactly do they do?

They can be used for anything from downloading a business card (v-card), launching a specified website or social profile, providing ratings and reviews for local businesses or restaurants, or even getting creative and hosting local scavenger hunt games where participants must seek and scan the codes to locate the next item in the game.

Although there is a certain learning curve with new technology, if the end result is worth it, most people will take the time to learn how to put it to good use. This seems to be the case with QR codes. While QR codes reading software comes standard on phones throughout Asia, they are just beginning to catch on here in the US.

In order for you to take advantage of the use of QR codes, you must have a camera enabled mobile device (most new phones do these days) and you must also download a QR code reader app to that device. Once the app is installed, all you have to do is launch the device, which accesses the camera and turns it into a scanner, point it at the QR code and snap a picture when prompted, and whatever that code has been intended for happens next.

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