[Reader-users] Bar codes

[Angie Matney]

Peter asked:

>>     I believe that bar codes are stamped on the top or bottom of cans
>>insuring that the entire surface is flat instead of round. Does anyone know
>>if when these codes are read by a barcode reader if one just gets the
>>product name, or can you also access preparation and use directions, and
>>whatever else is normally included on the can label?

Bar codes are on the labels of cans near the seams, typically near the bottom (to aid cashiers at checkout). They don't need to be on the flat part of the can. My bar code reader is omnidirectional, meaning I don't have to have the bar code 
right-side-up when I scan it. The amount of info you get depends on a database. The bart code reader accesses a database of products and provides you with the information in the database. My bar code reader's database does indeed 
contain cooking instructions for many products. If a product is not in the database, I can record an audio message containing this information which will be played back the next time the object is scanned. If the reader were to become a bar 
code reader, a database of products would probably need to be developed, unless people were willing to make an initial recording of the item. My bar code reader has a database of over one million items, but the earliest ones apparently 
required the person to record a message for every bar code.

HTH,

Angie