In 1994, a Toyota subsidiary designed a new type of bar code in order to track car parts called the quick response code. A two-dimensional bar code featuring black modules in a square pattern over white space, the QR code is designed for quick decoding. It can hold text, URLs, links to compose messages, and other data and has much more storage space than the traditional linear bar code. For years, it was a useful but limited tool.
With the invention of the smartphone, everything changed.
Now, the QR code has an endless array of uses, and companies are only scratching the surface. Many free apps, including QR Reader, Scan, Google Goggles, and Barcode Scanner are available and can read QR codes. With one of these apps, using a QR code is as simple as holding your phone over the square. Your phone’s camera will read the code, and you’ll be directed to the link, URL, text, or elsewhere that the company behind the QR code intended. It’s that simple.
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