Auto ID Happenings

Getting a Universal Product Code is probably not the first thing you think about when going into business. (A UPC is, of course, that familiar pattern of black bars and numbers you find on just about every consumer product that’s scanned at a store check-out.) But if you aspire to a certain level of consumer product sales, a UPC will be critical because most good-sized retailers will expect you to have a bar code on your product to adapt to their in-store computer system.

While UPCs aren’t essential if you plan to limit your sales to small boutiques, independent retailers or the internet, it’s to your advantage to purchase a bar code and incorporate it into your packaging design from the start. Then, once a major retailer comes calling, you’ll be prepared, and you won’t miss out on a great opportunity.

To get the ball rolling, go to the GS1 US website (www.gs1us.org) formerly known as the Uniform Code Council Inc. There you can apply for your own UPC. Once they’ve accepted your application, your bar code can be used on up to 100 products, which means there’s no need to apply for additional bar codes if your first product spins off into multiple offerings. The fee you’ll pay is determined by the number of unique products you need to identify and your company’s gross sales revenue. That means if your company is small and you begin with a single product, you won’t be charged the same as, say, Pepsi when it registers a new drink offering. Still, the very lowest fee is $800, so it’s good to be prepared for this cost.

Newsmax is reporting that Verichip is actively marketing RFID implants for military personnel, replacing the traditional dog tags now worn by service members. The device would be placed in the arm’s triceps muscle, and would contain the individuals sixteen digit number - effectively giving medical and administration personnel access to computerized records based on that number by using a scanner.

Many questions remain unanswered however, such as the ramifications of the implant being present upon release from military service, how to read the implant in various conditions, and possible unauthorized reading of the chip by non-military personnel.

Content Idea of Asia Co. has developed a printable 3 dimensional barcode that stores between a half meg and 2 meg of data. The new barcode symbology was developed to transfer data to mobile phones in the form of short video commercials.

The 3D code is based on the 2D QR Code (photo). (See an explanation on Wikipedia). Content Idea of Asia Co. calls it a “PM Code”. The new barcode consists of up to 24 layers using different colors. Using this format in print media would allow the user to scan a barcode in a magazine, and watch a commercial for the advertized product.

Content Idea will distribute the software for free, and the first 3-dimensional video advertisements should be available in Japan in the summer.

Comments:
Wow. Now this is something that if it catches on will really encourage the deployment of barcode scanners and applications oriented at the general consumer.

This has been out on the street for the last 6 months or so, but we finally got chance to work with it….the new Symbol LS4208.

In our testing here, it shows a significant speed difference from standard “bread and butter” scanners. Also, we were able to scan damaged codes with the LS4208….something that the IT3800 and LS2208 traditionally have problems with.

The Symbol LS4208 comes with a 5-year front to back guarantee. We think this scanner is a good match for our library and school clients as it will help them get longer life out of their book barcodes.

Check it out now on our site. We have them ready to go for your needs….

Symbol LS4208 Pricing
Symbol LS4208 Description
Symbol LS4208 Specifications

We’ve been working with the Symbol MC1000 for a couple of months, and its really impressive. Basically, its a scaled-down version of the more expensive Windows Mobile devices, but it costs less than half as much. If you’re looking for a batch mobile computer with a barcode scanner, take a look at the Symbol MC1000.

We got to working with it when a client called us with a “special” application. He needs to do an inventory using portable barcode scanners that validates the item or UPC when you scan it, and the barcode scanner needs to validation lookup in 500k records in less than .2 seconds. We did an application like this a year or so ago, so we knew that a .NET device could handle it. The rub was that his budget per barcode scanner was around $700.00

With its SD slot, the Symbol MC1000 could store the validation file, and after getting one in, our developers found that there was basically no difference in performance in the MC1000 versus other portable barcode scanners costing hundreds more! The compromises were the monochrome screen that was non-touch (like a SmartPhone Screen). Gave us some fits in the development as we’re used to working with the touch, but the bottom line is that we met the customer’s requirements.

Take a look at our site for the product information:
Symbol MC1000 Product Description
Symbol MC1000 Specifications
Symbol MC1000 Pricing

And don’t forget, if you have a barcode scanner application need, our professional developers here will be glad to give you a quote.

From the minute I saw this, I thought it was pretty neat, and worth a try. After a couple of months of convincing my sweetheart, it was waiting under the tree:

Originally, I was skeptical that such a little machine could do the job. But, talk about great engineering! It’ll cook an egg, time the toast / muffin to be done when the egg is done, and it also heats your pre-cooked meat. It’ll also make hard and soft boiled eggs in the shell.

With a big family, and a growing teen boy, I can tell you we’ve really put this machine through its paces so far. The only complaint I have is that it only heats the meat, it won’t cook a sausage patty for example….so we’ve been limited so far to making egg with ham muffins. But other than that, its becoming indispensible in the household.

So much so that egg muffins aren’t for breakfast anymore. You can check it out here: at Amazon.com

Happy Breakfast!

A timeline for implementation of RFID for international travel:

January 2006 - San Francisco will accept E-Passports with RFID technology from Austrailia, New Zealand and Singapore
November 2006 - United States will start to issue RFID enabled passports

RFID is coming to passports…get ready?

I have to apologise for the delay in updating the blog here, but where our normal November and December volumes were predicted to be about 60% of the normal year’s month, we were 10% over the normal month! Good news for the company, but the increase in volume coupled with us taking on a few more programming projects than normal led to dropping the ball on the blog. The overall business was up over 40% again this year….. and helping you took precedence to updating the blog. I’m sorry.

We’re really excitied about the coming months. With more new products coming into the pipe, we’re looking forward to informing you of them here first….before our web site is updated.

We’ve concluded that RFID, although an up-and-coming technology, won’t be a force in the AutoID business this year. We’re looking for the further acceptance of barcode solutions. This prediction is supported by the major manufacturer’s in the barcode scanning market continuing to release new and more economical products…especially in the Mobile Computer arena. Keep your eyes peeled here for a first hand review of the MC1000 and MC70 from Symbol. You’ll be impressed.

We’ll continue to keep you posted about what’s going on in the RFID world, but we won’t be offering equipment until at least Q3 of this year. More on that later.

Finally, for all our readers, we sincerely hope you had a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This is the most definitive thing we’ve seen to date - a description of the current technology for barcode systems, and a description of RFID technology. The final orientation is for the government, but this is such a great read and resource, we’ve converted it to html and posted the entire document (all 112 pages). Read it here Its worth the time, and really is an easy read.

Hats off to Dr. David Wylde at Southeastern Louisiana University and the IBM Center for The Business of Government.

Joy Ghenekar has an excellent summary article on RFID technology over at the University of Michigan Business School.