Those of you that have worked with barcodes know that the biggest hinderance is having the barcode reader when you need it.

This is an obvious system-wide design flaw.

What is needed is a phonetic bar code language so that one could call out the barcode to the guy hogging the electronic device. How hard could it be to learn a language with only two letters (assumption code 39, UPC would require four).
-- Prof Manitou, Apr 14 2003

Code 39 info http://www.adams1.c...ussadam/39code.html
[half, Oct 04 2004]

UPC "human readable" spec http://www.uc-counc...01302/d36-3.htm#3-1
[half, Oct 04 2004]

Why was Diet Coke replaced with Coke Light? http://www.inq7.net...sep/05/lif_32-1.htm
[thumbwax, Oct 04 2004]

Hmm, could you elaborate a bit on the "2 letters" statement?
-- half, Apr 14 2003


Ignoring lots of technical details, its a semi-comical reference to most barcodes use of only two symbols; grocery UPC code use four. But since we'd go blind trying to read the barcodes anyway, I didn't suggest that a more feasible language wouldn't be based upon a one-to-one symbol to sound mapping.
-- Prof Manitou, Apr 14 2003


Easily solved with a WAP phone linked to a UPC server, but why bother?

QUERY: 004989718897

RESPONSE: COKE LIGHT 330ml SIX PACK

Hmmm, that's not right, I'm holding a pickled herring. Oh yes, it's 004989711897.

QUERY: 004989711897

RESPONSE: PICKLED HERRING
-- FloridaManatee, Apr 14 2003


Actually, I think you'd have to say for code 39 that there are 4 characters: wide bar, narrow bar, wide space, narrow space. Shorter and longer periods of silence could represent the spaces?

Of course all of this totally ignores the fact that barcodes are frequently accompanied by a "human readable" form of the information.
-- half, Apr 14 2003


What is COKE LIGHT?
-- waugsqueke, Apr 14 2003


That's either an answer in the form of a question or a question in the form of a question, but it's definitely not an answer in the form of an answer or a question in the form of an answer or a...
-- thumbwax, Apr 15 2003


Good, usually.
-- bristolz, Apr 15 2003



random, halfbakery