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Struggling For That Perfect Gift For The Retail Coder Who Has Everything Other Than Taste?

Written by Evan Schuman
May 11th, 2011

Do you have one of those impossible to shop for propeller heads on your gift list? Wondering what to get for the retail geek who has everything? Worry no more. A site called Barcode Gallery has just the thing. It’s framed artwork that depicts a giant 2D barcode. But it gets better.

The barcode is actually a secret message that the buyer chooses, and it becomes visible when using a mobile device to look at it. It’s the ultimate in geek-to-geek party communication. The message is limited to 300 characters, which I suppose is something for which we should all be grateful. Says the product’s creator: “The end result is the creation of a ready-to-hang piece of colorful modern art,” apparently using “modern art” as a euphemism for “strange geeky eyesore.” Then again, for that coder on your gift list, it may be a thing of beauty.


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