Designed as a high-tech marketing resource, QR (quick response) codes have many useful applications. These (usually) black-and-white algorithmic codes are gateways to a potential multimedia nirvana.

First invented for use in industrial applications in Japan in the early 1990s, QR codes were being widely used by consumers when smartphones with QR readers became more prevalent in the 2000s. After ...

When I received a catalog from REI recently (yes, I'm in Oregon and I love REI!), the back cover had a square'ish looking dotted graphic on it with a call to action beneath it: "To find the nearest ...