Especially when it comes to security breaches done through fake quick response codes, or QR codes (crossword puzzle looking bar code scan-able by some smart phones), the iPhone is a lot safer, he says.

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Equipped with a bar-code reader to scan New York registration stickers and synchronized with an atomic clock in Colorado, the devices make it almost impossible for an agent to make the kinds of errors Bolofsky depends on for appeals.

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Both YottaMark and FoodLogiq offer systems that let shoppers type a text code into a mobile phone or home computer, or scan a bar-code using a phone's built-in camera, to find out when the tomatoes on the shelf were picked and which field they came from.

ECONOMIST: Tech.view

When they get to the drop point, they just scan their bar code and place the already-tagged bag on the belt.

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Through iPhone and Android apps, customers simply scan the bar code on a prescription to alert their Walgreens pharmacy to refill.

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When the legislation comes into force in 2016, pharmacists and hospitals will be required to scan the bar code to ensure the product is legitimate.

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Good Guide , for example, allows smart phones to scan your bar code and immediately rank your product and potentially suggest a more sustainable alternative on the next shelf.

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To use a card at checkout, a cashier can either scan the card's bar code from the smartphone or type in the member's ID number.

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