2D bar codes have been around for a while.  417 is the general standard.
Saw one the other day on something odd, but I've forgotten what it was was.
Odd enough for me to think 'that's odd', but not odd enough to remember the
actual product.  You see them on hard drives occasionally. 

There's not really such a thing as a bookland bar code, Bookland is a
mythical kingdom somewhere in Oceania.  The first 2 digits of the EAN bar
code denotes the country, Australia is 93, New Zealand is 94 etc.  97 is
Bookland.  The rest is the ISBN number (well, most of it).

Seriously, all books come from the 'Kingdom of Bookland'.  Except in the US.

My favorite was bar codes on tires.  Looked like the 'bumpy' bar code in the
link, (and probably is).  Called a shadow bar code (or a shadow scanner), it
solved the problem of printing a black bar code on a black item (white
printing would be a bit ugly).  The bar code was sunken, and a light is
shone from the side.  Looking down, you get light & shadows, enough contrast
for a scan.  I think that's how the bumpy bar codes actually work, not some
weird braille-like reader it's suggesting.  Then again, people like building
odd stuff.

Tony
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu 
> [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of Tamas Rudnai
> Sent: Monday, 27 November 2006 9:41 PM
> To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> Subject: Re: [EE]:: New data storage called RVD can store 
> 256GB on A4 page
> 
> Storing data on a paper is far from new. There were couple of 
> examples 20 years ago using ordinary paper scanners to load 
> softwares published by computer magazines. But the best 
> example is the bar code with different
> variaties:
> 
> http://www.adams1.com/pub/russadam/stack.html
> 
> The only thing is the density as Russell claims quite 
> interesting how did they achieve that much and how accurate 
> is that (if you think over printer could fail, scanning is 
> dependent on many things etc.
> 
> Tamas
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 11/27/06, Tony Smith <ajsmith@rivernet.com.au> wrote:
> >
> > Google 'lace card'.
> >
> > Tony
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu
> > > [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of Peter Bindels
> > > Sent: Monday, 27 November 2006 7:15 PM
> > > To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> > > Subject: Re: [EE]:: New data storage called RVD can store 
> 256GB on 
> > > A4 page
> > >
> > > I think you'd get data loss if you stored the following data:
> > >
> > > 111111111
> > > 100000001
> > > 111111111
> > >
> > > IE, the bit in the center will fall out and read as 1's, 
> where they 
> > > should be 0's. Also, I'm not sure it's as safe from nieces and 
> > > nephews as my current harddisks.
> > >
> > > On 27/11/06, Tony Smith <ajsmith@rivernet.com.au> wrote:
> > > > > > This claims to be a new method of storing data at high
> > > > > density on paper.
> > > > > > I'll go on record as saying that (I think that) the 
> claims are 
> > > > > > rubbish, but it will be interesting to see if we are all
> > > > > storing our
> > > > > > data on paper in a few years time.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > OMG!!! Data can be stored on PAPER!!! What will they
> > > think of next?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > (Hey, I couldn't be the only one thinking it :-)
> > > > >
> > > > > -Denny
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Yes, I think lots of people will poke holes in it.
> > > >
> > > > ...wait a minute...
> > > >
> > > > That's an idea!  Poke holes in paper!  It would be just
> > > like binary, a
> > > > hole means 1, no hole means 0.  You could even shine a light 
> > > > though it.  Optical readers, cool.  If you got the old fan-fold 
> > > > paper, you could have massive storage.  How many holes can you 
> > > > poke in
> > > a box of that?
> > > >
> > > > Quick, to the patent office!
> > > >
> > > > Tony
> > > >
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