What are these fuzzy little squares which are now appearing on everything?

[CJ2010]

Has anyone else noticed these? There is one on my cereal box, my gas bill, my magazine...basically all products now seem to have them. Can anyone please explain what they are and their purpose. Thanks.

no?? tell us more.....what colour? size?

For your smartphone, I think.

Do you mean the ones which connect smart phones straight to a website?

I asked this yesterday! They are called QRs or something and you can get an app for your phone which lets you snap them and be taken straight to a web address.

It's a small square, filled with fuzzy greyness! Sorry that's the best way I can explain them! They are suddenly appearing on everything! Ok, I've got an iphone, what should I do now?

All about it here

wikipedia

Do you mean qr codes? Box with funny b&w pattern?

If so, it's for your phone, if it has a qr reader you can scan it and it will give you info, eg nutritional info, recipes, games, whatever really.

i will look out for them as i honestly have not noticed!!

You scan them with a phone designed to scan these things and stuff happens. As you can tell, I don't have such a phone. So I imagine that the stuff that happens is not essential stuff.

Thanks for posting link, it's a QR code.

Yep they are great.

Don't you use them so you know that you need to get more of whatever the product is? Something about scanning it in your phone when you've ran out there's an advert think it's for tesco or something

'Filled with fuzzy greyness'

That is so poetic!

Seriously, what a lovely image

Oh and if they really do seem just 'Filled with fuzzy greyness' you might want to pop your glasses on / get an eye test - they do have a clear pattern, though it's not comprehensible to humans!

It is a qr code or 2 dimensional (2d) barcode. Just means instead of the normal stripy barcodes, information is stored vertically as well as horizontally. So it can carry hundreds of times more info than standard barcodes. Geeky or what?

They are the secret method by which the government watches your every move and then tells the Martians about it. It's a backup for when you turn off your TV.

But ssh! don't tell anyone . . .

It's for cats. They can read them, but humans can't. My cat studies them for hours. I think she's getting messages from the cat version of MI5. Goodness knows what she's up to all night but she never tells us!

farewellfigure Which of us is bonkers?

Actually Andrew, those squares actually ARE the martians. They Walk Among Us and collect data from our phones so that one day they can take over the world.

Doom! DOOOOM!

Does it work with Iphone?

Cats with thumbs I bet, their going to take over the world, with the martians of course!

Fimbo - yes you just have to download an iPhone app for it

Sorry kenobi, I should have remembered. But I fear it's too late and that they have taken over the world. Using MN.