Product bar codes were originally developed to help with inventory tracking and speed up checkout at grocery stores. The relative speed and ease of use of the bar code system, or Universal Product ...

The numbers on fruit stickers have a secret meaning for shoppers.

Before texting, Japan’s youth mastered a secret language — pager codes. Using clever number-word substitutions, they sent heartfelt, funny, or cryptic messages. Today, they’re a nostalgic puzzle and a ...