Imagine a QR code that instantly makes the person scanning it a fan of a brand, company, or personality on Facebook without ever typing a URL. Google’s also been encouraging the use of QR codes.

Business cards, particularly when elevated with QR code, still serve a powerful role in establishing one’s identity and status before a conversation even begins.

You've probably noticed a square barcode pasted to a graffitied light pole or on the back of a business card. That pixelated code, shaped in a square, is called a QR code.