Wednesday, May 25, 2005

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.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

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.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

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

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

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

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.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Oh, never mind. It must be me.

If one is gone then many must be better

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

Friday, May 06, 2005

Quick. How many?

Too much?

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?