Barcode

QR codes are everywhere nowadays, but they don’t have to be. MIT scientists have developed an invisible tagging system called BrightMarker, which embeds fluorescent tags into objects that can be viewed and tracked through an infrared camera.

Barcode stickers may provide valuable information on products, but they're rather unsightly, and they peel off over time. An experimental new alternative, however, is 3D-printed right into the item, and is invisible to the naked eye.

Although barcodes are currently utilized mainly to keep track of merchandise, they may soon also be used to detect counterfeit goods. We're not talking about ordinary barcodes, however. Instead, scientists have devised a new 3D barcode that's actually molded into plastic or composite items.

The GeniCan is a prototype device that attaches to a trashcan so it can be used to scan barcodes of items as they are thrown out. They can then be added to a list or automatically reordered.

E-books had been around for a while before Amazon launched the Kindle. But the e-reader proved to be just what e-books needed to take off. Can Jeff Bezos wave his magic wand again with online grocery shopping? If so, then it might be because customers waved a magic wand of their own.

The creators of the experimental Lumitrack motion-tracking system claim that it has much less lag time than existing systems, plus it's highly accurate and should be cheap to commercialize.

Scientists at the Technology Transfer Unit of Portugal's University of Aveiro are developing DNA "barcodes" that can be applied to products, then subsequently read as a means of identification.

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have developed a system called acoustic barcodes that registers the sound of a finger scraping across notches etched, embossed or cut into a surface and converts it into a unique binary ID.

Augmented reality could be the next venue for graffiti and tag artists, as well as advertisers and media sites

iCache Inc has announced the release of the Geode, a secure digital wallet for the iPhone 4 and 4S, which will enable users to leave their plastic cards at home.

A new supermarket scanner is able to identify grocery items based on their appearance, not barcodes.

Condoms with QR codes track when and where people practice safe sex.