Kids 'n' camera phones: Scan for more info

Picture this: There's a bar code on a child's backpack or school uniform. A camera phone scans the bar code (like taking a picture), and up on the phone's screen pops the child's Web page with real-time information about him or her. As any parent can visualize, there's a definite darkside to this scenario, described in a Wired News article about this new bar code technology, called "Semacode" (here's their Web site). "This week, the art group etoy will issue Semacoded uniforms to 500 children participating in its "etoy.Day-Care-2 project" at the Nieuwe Domeinen arts and architecture festival in Amsterdam," Wired News reports. It's technology that will probably catch on ("businesspeople could put Semacodes on their business cards to link to constantly updated contact information"; "museums could tag exhibits with Semacodes to provide information in multiple languages"), so - if your kid's school someday thinks this is a cool idea - be ready with another perspective. Just for the purposes of discussion: This neat technology could also get into the wrong hands.