Sunday, July 30, 2006

Barcoded toys? Why??

This story makes me think they're sellinga solution to a non-problem. What? You're too busy to read to your kids so you're gonna scan a barcode that initiates an electronic babysitter? This is good parenting? Oy vey!

Barcode tattoos

barcode tattoo photographs
It started out slowly enough but it's hard to deny that JetCityOrange's barcode tattoo photo collection has blossomed.

Something tells me that there are more bar code tattoos out there waiting to be discovered and submitted. You wouldn't be holding out on me now would you???

Monday, July 24, 2006

Whole Foods needs to change their POS

I love Whole Foods. I went to their mothership store in Austin. Three times in four days while on a business trip. Blew me away so much I called Lisa from the store and told her we're coming back just to shop.

Yesterday I noticed something odd. When two UPC symbols wouldn't scan yesterday, the cashier had to call for a price check. I asked and no it doesn't always work to simply type the 11 or 12 digits in. She said that not everything was "in the system".

Gimme a break. This is a massive, global retailer. If they can't figure out how to scan everything they stock they should call Bentonville.

Friday, July 14, 2006

You know what pisses me off?

I'm in the store. I buy 5 different flavors of fruit leather. They are different colors in different packages. Different SKUs with different GTINs, hence each has a different UPC barcode.

So what does the cashier do? Scan one and hit the 'repeat X5' key. I realize all she's doing is harvesting the price. To hell with real time inventory tracking.

When I mention it she mumbles something to the effect of "well, if that's the way you want me to do it sir."

Her MIS dept. must love her.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Weird barcode at the post office

USPS barcode
Someone mailed me something in a photo mailer from the post office. The buck twenty-nine price is a little high but hey, convenience, right?

What caught my eye was the barcode on the back. Seems our pals at the Post Office are too cheap to buy a company prefix from GS1 and use number system 4 which is reserved for in-house use. Product code (SKU) is 94009284 and voila, there's your barcode number.

Even odder is that the 5-digit supplemental isn't the price, otherwise it would be 50129 following Bookland rules.

And perhaps most upsetting of all is that this item is made in Mexico. So much for supporting domestic manufacturers.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Barcode Nerds on My Space

Yep. It finally happened. Your favorite bar code nerds are now on MySpace.

"Why?" you ask. Cuz that's where the party is. And Lord knows we don't want to be left out.

Besides, how can I let my kids be hipper than me?

"It's too late for that now."

Yeah. I know.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Unique or Not?

Pyramid Ales X3 barcodes
Excuse me but all this time I was under the mistaken notion that one of the hallmarks of barcodes was their uniqueness. Not only are two different items supposed to have two different barcodes but the corillary is that each item is supposed to have one and only one barcode.

So what's up with the homies at Pyramid Brewing? Didn't they get the memo?