Forward-looking: For almost five decades, the humble barcode has been found on the packaging of almost every consumer item in the world. But there's a push to get rid of them within just two years, ...

Special thanks to Marcella Michalek, a former summer associate at Foley, for her contributions to this article. When introduced nearly fifty years ago, the Universal Product Code (UPC)—the most ...

The next era for retail is already underway, and it all starts with the simple but powerful scan of a code. Nearly 50 years ago, UPC barcodes changed the game for retailers everywhere, and now we’re ...

The way we shop is going to change.

In fact, according to Uniqode ’s State of QR Codes 2026 report, most consumers now interact with QR Codes regularly, with a ...

The use of 2D bar codes is one of the fastest-growing areas of the automatic identification and data-capture (AIDC) field. Data Matrix underpins the global supply chain initiative for several vertical ...

From the upcoming generation of “iPad kids” glued to their screens to the ubiquitous but unpopular QR code menu (paywall), critics claim that a proliferation of technology is depriving people of human ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Davey Winder is a veteran cybersecurity writer, hacker and analyst. The simple answer, and the one most often provided in online ...