QR codes are a great little invention which help bring a link between physical devices, mainly mobiles, to a digital front.

You need particular software such as Microsoft Tag in order to be able to scan the QR codes that appear on leaflets, billboards and other means of advertising, usually near the business logo.

An example of a QR code is in the featured image. The black dots move around slightly to make the image unique, allowing millions of different combinations for companies to use.

These are becoming increasingly popular due to more people owning a Smartphone device, or a device which has a camera, such as the latest waves of tablets.

The QR codes can link to various different things, from a text based message, to a the company homepage URL, or a particular web page.

The most interesting use I have seen so far with these QR codes is a treasure hunt, which took place at Kent 2020 which I attended last week.

When you attended the event, you were given a leaflet saying “Scan your first code here and follow the clues”. The clues actually led round different stands for particular companies at the event. I came across a text based clue saying “You’re Fired!” after scanning a QR code I found on a stand, and I searched the Apprentice stands everywhere but sadly I was baffled. A great idea though which I expect to see a lot more of in the future as more and more people upgrade their phones to a smart device which is capable of using a digital camera, and installing the software required to understand the QR codes.