An error only a barcode nerd would catch

I saw this ad in the concourse of Cleveland airport coming home from Grandma's Thanksgiving. I can only assume that literally thousands of eyeballs gaze upon this ad.

But my eye focused on the barcode. Do I remember who the advertiser was? No. (Well that's money ill-spent.)



What do I see? The barcode. It's a UPC barcode. Definitely not the kind of barcode you'd expect to see used for ID and tracking purposes. At least I don't expect to see a UPC version A w/o human-readable characters used a such.

But that's just me.

Doesn't quite fit the co-op lifestyle

Somewhat clever idea with a high geek factor. And not necessarily in a good way either.

The staff at my local food co-op knows I write barcode software. I'm not sure how they'd react if I copped to using one of these things. Actually I do: they'd laugh me out of the store.

RFID & Barcodes

Let's get one thing straight: RFID will not, I repeat not replace barcodes.

Barcodes are not extinct. There's years of life left in 'em. RFID is a solution (sic) looking for a problem.

Or as the wise sage Ray Delnicki sez "Barcodes are the human-readables for RFID."

Personalize Bar Code Labels???

Not that I even think of using Amtrak for shipping but this is kinda kewl.

Still not gonna use 'em though.

Bar Coded Credit Card? Puh-leeze...

Ya spend 16 odd years in this business and you think you've seen it all. Then something like this comes along.

What can I say? Like I don't already have enough plastic in my wallet...

Printer Bar Code-like Schema

Jerry here. We all know I like bar codes and other numbering schemes. How about the built-in ID one's printer.

EFF has cracked the code your printer embeds. Or at least if you're using certain color Xerox printers. Read about it here.

Why is your printer tattling on you? To help catch digital counterfeiters of course.

Barcodes & Taxis

No, I didn't see the direct connection between bar codes and taxis at first either. After reading this story I'm not sure I do after all.

Add in a cell phone camera that eats the bar codes and I'm definitely confused.

Tiny, tiny symbols

Boy, has it been a long time since anyone posted to this blog. You'd think we had real lives or sumthin'.

It's not like I haven't been paying attention to bar codes all this time. In fact, I've been re-energized. Going to the UConnect conference sponsored by our friends as GS1 US was a blast. I learned all about UIDs and Global Data Synchronization and the ever growing importance of XML. The downside was that I had to go to TX.

Meanwhile I stumbled across these teenie tiny bar codes and thought of you.

So Miranda, Andy, and Jerry are off to Chicago for Frontline. Jerry is scheduled to learn more about UIDs from the DoD. And our web site will soon sport seven, count 'em, 7 new languages soon.

Life Imitating Technology

This news article is so funny I hardly know where to start.

For some time now I've noticed isolated examples of bar codes being objectified and used as a design element. But this takes the cake.

Congrats to one and all involved. You made this barcodenerd's day!

It's That Religion Thing Again

Stuff like this spooks me. First of all because the passage in the Book of Revelation is nothing like what religious nuts make it out to be. Kinda like gun freaks and their right to bear arms (yeah, to maintain a standing militia; read the Constitution).

GTINs Go To School

Back to school takes on a whole new meaning when little Johnny and Janie are doing GTIN along with the 3Rs. What am I talking about? Look here.

Weird...

Bar Codin' Babies

This is disturbing. Deeply so.

Every once in awhile, someone calls us and asks for artwork so they can get a bar code tattoo. They get the "Nazi's did the same thing" lecture before I provide said artwork.

But bar coding people upon birth is a little over the top.

X-rated Bar Codes?!?

OK. So this kinda story is definitely not what I thought I'd see when I logged on this morning.

Please. Tell me why a bar code is so much better than dialing a phone number and punching in a code #? Opens the game up to older phones. Then again, who wants to hang around some flourescent lit video store in a mall, watching movie previews? Have you never heard of NetFlix? There's a good reason some of us don't go to Blockbuster.

BTW, those are our bar codes on the NetFlix materials!

Now, this is truly scary...

Bar code tattoos, a subject that just keeps coming up again and again. And no, as big a bar code nerd as I am, I ain't got one. But this gent does.

Coloureds again & bar codes on the road

Everywhere I looked, coloureds. Doesn't anyone do black & white any more? Or is it just me??

And speaking of bar codes (and who isn't these days) I'm going to a bar code trade show. Yep, and not only that but it's (cue up the music) deep in the heart of Texas. Bar codes, Texas; bar codes, Texas. Honestly, does it get any better than this? Look for posts and updates on the road.

Bar codes in your wallet?

So here's a little story that might help explain that odd technology you've been carrying around in your wallet.

The CueCat Rides Again (as if anyone still cares)

Oh the CueCat. It will earn a place in both nerds hearts for making what had been relatively esoteric hardware a freebie for the masses and an object lessons for legions of MBA students as an example of how not to market technology.

To some of us barcodenerds, it will forever remain a hack among hacks.

Barcode saves 4 keystrokes!

So the other day I'm buying a new cell phone at the t-mobile store. The sales guy has to scan about 6 different barcodes on the box to register it in his computer. The he turns to me and asks my name. Being a BARCODE NERD, I whip out my Azalea.com business card and say, "SCAN THIS". He gets a silly grin on his face and says, "Really"?

He then proceeds to scan the barcode on my business card, and ANDY appears on his screen.
"COOL", he says.

This isn't the only weird bar code site...

No, I'm personally aware of at least 2 others: tshirts and tattoos.

National ID card? No thanks.

Our "leaders" (sic) in DC have done it again. Boneheads passed the Real ID Act as part of the Iraq Supplemental Spending Bill. No matter how many bar codes, RFID chips, or biometric technologies they cram into it, it's a bad idea. Please visit The Electronic Privacy Informtion Center to learn more and learn how you can add your voice to the opposition.

Oh, never mind. It must be me.

Well it seems I've stumbled across a fad of some sort.

Quick. How many?

Too much of a good thing? I think not.

But even as a confessed bar code nerd, I always wonder if scenarios like this are overload. I mean it looks good on a white board in a meeting but once a scheme like this is put in place, does it really work? Don't the who-gives-a-sh*t warehouse workers get confused about which symbol to scan when? Does it really save time after all the mis-scans?

The Null UPC

Emulating my too-hip-for-the-room 13 yr old, I switched to a Sidekick II this last week. I won't bore you gushing over how cool it is.

What I will share with you is a shot of the UPC located on the shipping container. If you know anything at all about UPC symbols you have to ask yourself why oh why would anyone bother to employ such a null bar code. What, you don't have your own freakin' company prefix? To lame to use a number system 4 symbol?? Is this a mistake??? Inquiring minds demand to know.

2 much 4 me

I came across this site while following a link on Engadget for this item.

Sheesh... And I thought I was a bar code nerd.

Now, who wants me to scan and decode this thing? Hunh??

Coloured Bar Codes cont.

Speaking of coloured bar codes (and who isn't these days), the above just proves yet again that pink is this year's black.

Coloured Bar Codes

Coloured bar codes, a bad idea that refuses to dye (bad pun intended).

If you think color matching print jobs is a pain in the *ss now, try adding this to the mix. Besides, who really fills up a PDF417 or Data Matrix 2D bar code anyway? Right; I didn't think so.

I've seen coloured bar codes come and go over the years and quite frankly, I ain't impressed. A solution in search of a problem IMHO.

That CueCat thing just won't die...

Remember the CueCat? Some of us do.

Others of us have continue to play with it. Grab you one and git bizzie.

This is what I'm talkin' about

Curved, ehhh?

While throwing out old stuff I came across SoundBlaster CDs that come with their very own curved bar code. How kewl is that?

As if we weren't bar code nerdy enough...

Guess who's a EAN•UCC Bar Code Consultant? Yep, Miranda and Andy! Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself.

If ya don't wanna be nekkid try this shirt on for size.

more RFID weirdness

Do they even make normal RFID news? This certainly isn't.

Relax folks. It ain't RFID

Thank God our guv'ment is watching out for our best interests. Word from Homeland Security (sic) is that the new federal employee ID badges won't be based on that pesky RFID technology. Nope, it's gonna be based on (get this) "contactless chips". Don't believe me? Read this.

I for one will be sleeping better at night.

Getting started

Yes. There are bar code nerds among us.

First things first

Well, if you're new to bar codes (and at this late date I don't see how anyone isn't onboard) this Bar Code FAQ is definitely the place to start.

Are there any privacy concerns? You bet there are.