What is a QR Code?
A QR Code is a sophisticated barcode. They're used for encoding information in two-dimensional space -- like in the pages of magazines, in advertisements, on product packaging, and even on web sites.

What NOT to do!
The most common mistake marketers make with QR codes is having them resolve to a standard web page that is not mobile-friendly. Worse yet is to have a code connect to a site with Flash video, which is not supported by the iOS devices (iPhones and iPads) that account for nearly 50% of the code readers in the world.  Let Skoop! create a simple landing page, or a full blown mobile website, for your QR code program.

How is it different than a regular barcode?
Whereas a "regular" barcode encodes data in only the horizontal plane (as scanners read the width and distance between the vertical lines), QR codes encode data both horizontally and vertically in a grid of tiny squares. This allows for much more data to be encoded in a smaller space. Barcodes are good for little more than identifying products and objects. QR codes, on the other hand, can actually embed that information in the code itself, and, when read with the proper software, can trigger actions like launching a website or downloading a file, or many other useful things (see the list at right). Additionally, QR codes can be read from any angle, while barcodes must be aligned properly.

What can QR codes do?
QR codes are tailor-made for quickly and easily linking to content on smartphones. Uses include magazine advertisements that link to websites, digital business cards that share LinkedIn accounts and contact info, linking directly to apps in the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace, and providing information to tourists as they wander through an amusement park.

How can you use them?
There are a number of free apps in the iPhone App Store that can read QR Codes. Most Android phones and BlackBerries are able to read the codes right out of the box, as can newer Nokia handsets. Windows Mobile users can download QuickMarks. All you need to do is launch the appropriate app, and point your phone's camera at the QR code you want to scan.

QR codes are only bound to become more common in the coming months and years. We're increasingly reliant on our mobile devices, and typing out URLs or other data on their tiny keyboards is still not very efficient. QR codes are a shortcut around that problem, can easily be integrated with various services, and incorporate geo-location data.