The Barcode Turns 40!
40 years ago, on the 26th of June, 1974, a packet of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Chewing Gum was the first item scanned using a Barcode with a Universal Product Code [UPC] and a handmade laser scanner at a store in Ohio, United States. It’s a fascinating story that began as far back as the 1940’s, and its application in our world, and evolution into different forms, shows no sign of slowing down today. Indeed, the invention of the humble barcode, and with it, the concept of tagging items with unique identifiers that communicate wirelessly in near real-time, has been the catalyst for the coming Internet of Things (IoT) or Internet of Everything. We’ve found a couple of interesting articles online for you today about barcodes, their history, and their continuing impact, as we acknowledge this anniversary – Wired Magazine, CBC News and GS1. We hope you enjoy the readings!