People could send a text message with the code and get a message back confirming that what they bought is listed in a database.

VOA: special.2010.03.01

"And we also built in a website address so that if somebody decodes the code within the code, they can send an e-mail to that address.

VOA: special.2010.07.20

They send that code, via text message, to a toll-free phone number, and immediately receive a text back that indicates whether or not the drug is legit.

FORBES: Tech Startup Uses Cell Phones To Root Out Counterfeit Drugs

Advances in the life sciences means it is now possible to design DNA on a computer screen and send the DNA code to a "bio printer" for assembly.

CNN: How technology makes us vulnerable

Rather than visiting a kiosk to rent a bike, you'll be able to use a smartphone app to locate some available wheels, with position information broadcast by a built-in GPS. Once you find a bike you want to rent, the system will send an unlock code to your handset, which you'll enter into a handlebar-mounted PIN pad.

ENGADGET: NTT DoCoMo Shared Bicycle Initiative hands-on (video)