Everyone loves a good barcode hack, ehhh?

What better way to end the year than a discussion of barcode hacks!

Now go read this too.

Finally, a use for camera barcodes

We've been hearing about the "benefits" of 2D barcodes on cell phones for years now. Tickets, schmickets. That don't do it for me.

But tying a physical object to its Wikipedia entry? That at least holds out some semblence of usefulness. And who brings this cell phone magic to the masses? Semapedia, who else.

Barcodes On The Brain

"The Szhk Biennale of Architecture for 2007 features a commissioned collaboration between members of idu architecture and [daz[. They will be producing a temporary book store and cafe; aptly titled ISBN and Barcode respectively."

I keep trying to convince my family to get a second dog so we can name him RFIDo. Or maybe Modulo. Codabar?

Nothing like a barcode tattoo for the holidays.

We're proud to announce that JetCityOrange's barcode tattoo gallery has reached 60 photos by year end 2007.

Thanks go out to the dozens of people who graciously alllowed JCO to post photographs of their barcode tattoos.

Happy Holidays from us to you!

(and no, it's not Photoshop)

Finally! A good use for RFID

Someone asked me about RFID last night at dinner. I gave my standard response: "Who cares?" reflecting the lack of business opportunity it affords.

Well. Now I've found a reasonable use for RFID: a door opener. Not just any door opener but one that can be controlled via one's cell phone or browser!

Better Living Through Barcodes, part 642

Here at Super Top-Secret Barcode HQ we really do love barcodes. And to a (wo)man, we love to read. So the barcode bat-cave was all a-flutter when we stumbled across Zack Grossbart's fascinating How-To on organizing a home library. Good stuff.

Barcodes in the O.R. A good thing (I think...)

This article talks about surgeons losing sponges during operations. The solution? barcoding the sponges. Scan 'em in, scan 'em out.

Sounds like a great idea. Maybe I should schedule my next operation there. Just don't tell me how many sponges are left inside hapless patients on an average day. I don't wanna know.

A Barcode Web Site for the EU

Those in the European Union now have their own barcode website. In all 23 offical EU languages.

Enjoy!

Azalea Software & Crystal Reports 2008 press release

We've all been holding our breath for months now but it's come to pass. Azalea Software's barcode software is bundled with Business Objects' Crystal Reports 2008. We just did a press release announcing this.

Print Code 39 barcodes right out of the box. Print UPC, Code 128, Interleaved 2 of 5, and POSTNET barcodes by purchasing upgrades from Azalea Software.

Azalea Software Announces New Barcode Websites

One of the joys of selling barcode software is having a growing network of barcode websites. To that end, Azalea Software is happy to announce the latest batch bar code web sites:
UPCTools, C128Tools, C39Tools, I2of5Tools, and POSTools.
And yes, there even more barcode-related sites coming!

Barcode-Free Turkey Day Blogging

From The Wooden Robot, a very handy How-To:



Happy Thanksgiving!

Barcode Madness!

LEGOs™ + lasers? A barcode scanner, natch.










Barcode weirdo extraordinaire Scott Blake has some fun stuff up at YouTube:





A lovely barcode rainbow from Rosistem- First barcoding website from Romania!












And we're pleased as punch to hear that our surreal friends the Barcode Kitties have landed a Happy Meal™-type deal with Peruvian burger chain Bembos.

Barcode Printing in Crystal Reports 2008

Crystal Reports 2008 now features barcode support within this popular database reporting tool. What they didn't say when they announced Crystal Reports 2008 recently was that they've incorporated Azalea Software's barcode fonts into the product.

While Azalea has offered a plug-in that works with Crystal Reports for many years, their barcode fonts are now tightly woven into the fabric of Crystal.

[The sounds of cheering Crystal developers can be heard in the background.]

Some Days We Regret Outgrowing Recreational Drugs

We present you Seikodo Corp's Barcode Kitties. Your guess is as good as ours.


And no, their whiskers don't scan, which hurts us down deep in our souls.

Azalea Origami

Or would that be origami azalea. Either way, here's our company's namesake done in folded paper.

And you thought we didn't have enough stuff to fill a blog named "Bar Code Nerds". Shame on you for not having faith in us!

NJ Company Offers "Cost-Saving" Alternative to RFID

Secure Symbology wants to keep your food, your pharmaceuticals , nay your very Homeland Security™ safe! Using barcodes, natch, and "proprietary machines" which run only a quarter million dollars. Each.



"Secure Symbology's proprietary machines -- at a cost of $250,000 each -- imprint individual serial numbers on each package and shipping carton, allowing the manufacturer to follow the product on its journey along the distribution and sales trail."

Call me crazy but that sounds like any old barcode process. You know: buy reasonably-priced barcode software, dump your data in, get barcodes back, print with the hardware you've got.

'Course, if you want to spend 250K, more power to ya, hotshot.

UK Standards Body Does Musicians a Solid

GS1 UK, in conjunction with AIM and the BPI, will now distribute single GTINs to UK musicians and labels.



This is great news for indie bands and DIY music labels who previously couldn't afford the zillion dollar price tag on a full GS1 membership. For £25 (fiddy American dollars) a year, the little guys can now produce and sell their songs in the same channels as the big guys.

The question now is if/when it will become a global standard. We love GS1 US (Seriously. We love them) and trust that they'll do the right thing.

Putting the fun(k) in function

MagCulture takes a peek at Wallpaper mag's barcode whimsy, and Esquire UK's fun barcode designs.





Jetcityorange has a whole gallery devoted to DIY barcode art.



Yes it's true, barcodes (and barcode nerds) are hipper than you ever imagined.

The Idea That Never Dies

There will be a practical use for barcodes and cellphones. There will there will there will!