Top Ten Articles of 2011: A Mid-Year Review
1. Barcode and POS Industry Luminaries Shine Light on 2011
Reflecting on the highlights of 2010 and wondering what was in store for 2011, we asked leaders in the fields of barcoding, RFID and retail technology what they predicted for the new year. Were they on target? Take a look and judge for yourself.
The barcode has been around for almost 80 years now. Read the story of its beginnings and its evolution over the years--from the old Bull’s Eye barcode, to the modern bar code and UPC, and finally its newest form--2D barcodes.
3. Penthouse Mag Barcodes the Babes, Sex Advice via QR code
Approaching 2011, QR Codes, or 2D barcodes had already been causing a stir, and we knew the year would be full of surprises in this field. Penthouse Magazine’s use of them might be one of the most creative—or seductive—QR code campaigns we’ve seen yet.
4. The Disintermediation of the Point of Sale Industry
This year has brought significant change to the Point of Sale Industry—bigger than we’ve seen in decades. See what our president, Craig Aberle, has to say about the huge benefits these changes offer to businesses, as well as the looming questions about the industry’s future.
5. Best Practices for Using 2D Barcodes in Advertising
If you want to be cool this year, you’ve got to have QR codes. If you want to be successful in your QR code campaigns, you need to read this article. Follow these best practices for marketing with 2D barcodes and achieve success.
6. Near Field Communications: Leave your leather wallet at home.
Look Mom, no hands! No wallet, purse, credit card, or cash either! If you haven’t heard about how NFC technology is enabling customers to pay with a bump of their phone or mobile device, then read this article.
7. Will RFID Join QR Code in Coolsville?
If you think QR codes have stolen all of the thunder this year, think again. RFID is catching some attention, turning it’s boring old “Mayor of Tech-Town” reputation into a modern “Player in Coolsville” by proving useful in a myriad of venues. Here is one example.
8. Will RFID help stabilize gas prices? 
Just to again prove the point of RFID’s versatility and coolness, what could be cooler than helping to stabilize gas prices, one of the more painful reminders of the times?
9. Armed with Only an iPad and Bluetooth Barcode Scanner
The iPad, introduced to us in 2010, is proving to us this year that it is one of the most valuable business tools out there, with its low cost, ease-of-use, and endless applications. When combined with a small Bluetooth® barcode scanner, it makes a powerful POS package.
10. Mobile POS and Bar Code Reading from VeriFone
An exciting new development in the Barcode and Point-of-Sale (POS) industries is the advent of mobile POS. Read this description of a cell-phone-sized POS device that reads credit cards and barcodes, emails receipts, and even works with the afore-mentioned NFC technology. Will the dreaded waiting-in-line be a thing of the past by 2012?
Written by Erin Thayer
{jcomments on}