Hidden iPhone Barcode - Conveniently invisible...

While using a camcorder in night-vision mode, a serendipitous Australian discovered something on his iPhone 3G: a hidden barcode right there on the phone's casing. It's actually a 2-dimensional barcode, which packs more info into a smaller space - and it's only visible in infrared, so it can be seen by the electronic readers that need it, but not by the human eyes that don't. While many electronics products sport similar serial numbers, most hide them inside battery doors, of which the iPhone has none. So why is this invisible code so usable? Well, because it's not relevant to human users, Apple is doing us a favor by getting it out of sight and out of mind. With fewer visual distractions, it's easier to mentally connect with the product and the content it serves. It may seem like a small difference, but when you add up everything Apple does to banish distractions - removing screws, battery doors, anything it can to keep things simple - it all adds up!
[via Engadget]