Q: It was reported that King Abdullah overturned a sentence where a Saudi woman was to receive 10 lashes for driving a car. Are lashes administered in a closed prison environment or in some type of open courtyard where the public can view?
-- William McKee Jr., Flowery Branch
A: Floggings typically are held outside of prisons or marketplaces on Thursday nights, according to ABCNews.com. Shaima Justaneyah was scheduled to receive a public flogging before Saudi King Abdullah ordered a reprieve, according to the Daily Mail of the United Kingdom. Justaneyah was found guilty on Sept. 27 of driving without the government's permission.
Q: I would like to know what the purpose is for the square symbol filled with squiggly lines that appears on the lower corner of TV screens, as well as The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
-- Carolyn Bailey, Lithonia
A: They are called quick response, or QR, codes, and they help consumers instantly learn about a business or product, using an application, or app, on their smartphones. Consumers download the proper app to their phones and then either hold them next to the QR code, or take a picture of it with the phone's camera. The code then loads contact info, magazine or newspaper pages, photos, videos, a website or product placement page filled with more information.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? He’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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