Norwegian newspaper VG writes in an article yesterday(norwegian)  about what might be the next generation of barcodes.  MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is unveiling a new type of barcodes technology called “Bokodes” that uses light to transmit information next week.

Going to the source, MIT writes in their news section about “Barcodes for the rest of us“  and say that their Media Lab has created a new barcoding technology that will be presented  in New Orleans at SIGGRAPH, the leading international conference and exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques.

The tiny labels are just 3 millimeters across — about the size of the @ symbol on a typical computer keyboard. Yet they can contain far more information than an ordinary barcode: thousands of bits. Currently they require a lens and a built-in LED light source, but future versions could be made reflective, similar to the holographic images now frequently found on credit cards, which would be much cheaper and more unobtrusive. Continue Reading