How Do I Use A QR Code?

 There you are, rat racing to work, when you spy the gift on your holiday list with a curious black and white square beside it.

"With all of the folks walking by, we just thought it was a great opportunity for us," said Tom Shea, of Office Depot.

Tom Shea of Office Depot says the company is using QR codes, or Quick Response codes.

Commuters in Hoboken click, use their smartphones, click on a code, and voila, buy the item off Office Depot's website.

QR Codes can contain lots of different information, thousands of characters.

You scan one and you're taken to a website or text message, even a job listing.

The next time you see a QR code, here's how you can read it.

First you need the right app. Go to your app store or app market and search for a QR code reader or scanner.

Next, install the app. It's typically free for all platforms on Androids, iPhones, and Windows phones.

Now, you are ready. Open the newly installed app. Aim your phone at the QR code and you don't have to do anything else.

The app does the work, scanning the code and taking you to the information hidden inside it.

QR codes appear in magazines, storefront windows, newspapers, and at bus stops.

Lance Ulanoff, the editor-in-chief of mashable.com, says back in the 90's, the codes were used exclusively in the industry. Now, they've crept into the consumer marketplace and beyond.

"Well, we're already seeing business cards with them on the back, so very easy to say, 'Oh, I don't have any more business cards', just take this one, take a picture, in your phone," Ulanoff said.

"It's another way to advertise," said Ethan Allfree, a commuter.  "I've used it several times to look for information up at museums," said Heather Bosco, a commuter.

What's next for the QR code? It looks like ubiquity.