The last time you were flipping through your favorite magazine, you may have noticed a small, digital-looking image on one or more of the advertisements. What is it? A “Quick Response” code or QR code for short.

A QR code is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.