From the BBC:
“Stamps join the digital world
with QR codes”
The invention of postage stamps
more than 180 years ago transformed the way people sent and received letters. Now
they are being brought into the digital age, with QR codes being added to
everyday Royal Mail stamps. From Tuesday people will be able to scan the codes
using the Royal Mail app and watch an animation featuring Shaun the Sheep. Eventually
it will be possible to watch videos and even greetings from senders. But Royal
Mail has warned that the change means some of its stamps will need to be used
by January 2023 or swapped for new ones.
What are barcoded stamps and
how do they work? The QR codes will be available on so-called
"definitive" stamps - the everyday stamps featuring the profile of
the Queen. The Shaun the Sheep animation, created by animation studio
Aardman for Royal Mail, is the first in a series of videos planned for release
during 2022. People sending stamped mail will be able choose which video
the recipient sees when they get their mail. Non QR-coded stamps -
including Christmas stamps - will now only be valid until January next year.
However, they can be exchanged for the new ones through Royal Mail's Swap
Out scheme, which opens on 31 March. Nick Landon, Royal Mail chief
commercial officer, said: "Introducing unique barcodes on our postage
stamps allows us to connect the physical letter with the digital world and
opens up the possibilities for a range of new innovative services in
future." The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive stamp and
was issued first in the UK in 1840. It helped transform the way letters
were sent by making it cheaper and much more straightforward.
^ This is an odd, but interesting
thing. ^
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