As we wind down the year, it's a fitting time for Telus Talks Business contributors to thank you for reading, sharing and commenting on our posts. We hope you've enjoyed clicking or tapping through our small business-focused content as much as we've had fun writing it.

It's also a good opportunity to look back at the top tech trends in 2011, be it tablets and smartphones, app proliferation, cloud computing, virtualization, 4G/LTE, voice control and the consumer-ization of IT, to name a few that come to mind.

One of the posts I received the most email on this year was on QR codes.

In case you missed my original post, I chatted about the growing phenomenon in Canada and elsewhere, the varied applications for it and what you need to get going.

Ah, QC codes. You see them everywhere: in newspapers, on real estate signs, at museums and on the back of business cards. You flash one before boarding an airplane and scan one when leaving a rock concert.

They're called QR Codes, or "Quick Response" codes, and they're everywhere. If you've spent any time shopping, traveling, socializing or even walking around town these days, you no doubt have seen these mysterious black and white dotted squares – and people scanning them with their smartphones.

Consider them a kind of 2D barcode that has a number of advantages over traditional (lined) barcodes: they can store a lot more information (more than 7,000 numeric characters versus 20); they can be scanned quickly from any angle; and they're designed for consumers and businesses alike.

OK, so what do they do?

Once a QR code is scanned, it can take you directly to a website, launch a related YouTube video, add a name to your contacts list or download a MP3 or other content to your phone.

For example, if you liked reading an article in your local newspaper, you might see a QR code at the end of the piece. When scanned, it opens up a website with more information on the subject in question (such as a full-length interview with the person profiled). In this capacity, QR codes bridge the gap between old media and the online world.

Or your airline can text you a QR code to your phone. Hold it up as a digital boarding pass so it can be scanned as you board the plane. No paper needed.

Walking by a restaurant? Scan the QR code in the window, and it opens up the establishment's menu, hours of operation and perhaps a video message from the owner.

If you're off to a musical, a QR code on the back of your ticket might download a track or two from the official soundtrack.

You get the idea.

There are countless applications for QR codes, all designed to make exchanging information easier than manually typing everything in – and it's much faster, too, as scanning just takes a second or two.

QR codes started in Japan almost two decades ago, and while they've been popular in Asia and parts of Europe for a few years now, they're beginning to catch on in North America now that smartphones are becoming more ubiquitous.

What do I need?

All you need to scan QR codes is a smartphone with a camera (almost all have one) and software that can interpret what the code means and act on it.

In some cases, a QR code reader will be preinstalled on the smartphone, but there are many free ones to download for your smartphone if it's not. For example, there's Barcode Scanner for Android, QR Reader for iPhone, QR Code Scanner Pro for BlackBerry and BeeTagg for Windows Phone 7 and Nokia smartphones. There's also Google Googles, ShopSavvy and QuickMark QR Code Reader.

Some QR code readers will be built into existing apps, too, such as Research in Motion's BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). If you want to add someone to your contact list, scanning their smartphone's QR code is much faster than manually typing in their PIN number.

The future

QR codes are rising in popularity in Canada and the U.S., and for companies, they're an inexpensive way to deliver additional information, media and contact information to customers (or potential customers).

There are many websites that let you create QR codes for free, such as the one here or you can watch videos on how to do it elsewhere.

Another technology is also gaining popularity called NFCs, or Near-Field Communications. Soon, you'll be able to swipe your smartphone on a sensor in order to open up a website, download media or make a secure payment while on the go. Because NFCs are a wireless technology, the advantage over QR codes is you don't need to open a QR app to scan a code with your camera – it's just a quick swipe.

Imagine leaving a movie theatre in the near future and you stop to look at a poster for an upcoming film you're interested in. You might be able to swipe your phone on the poster's frame and a high-definition trailer for the flick will download to your device.

Of course, there is more of an investment to be made as a wireless sensor, or terminal, is required by those who want to use NFCs to get their word out -- not to mention NFCs won't be possible on a newspaper page (QR codes makes more sense here). But expect to hear a lot more about NFCs in 2012 – especially when it comes to making payments on vending machines and at stores.