I don't remember Data Matrix being used for any of those. In order to read a Data Matrix symbol, you have to have an image processor and something to take an image (ie a camera, RS-170, CMOS) of the Data Matrix symbol. Barcodes are 1D (one-dimensional). They can be read with those cheap scanners (red laser lights).
There was the infamous CueCats! They were publishing CueCodes in Parade magazine many years ago. I have several CueCats (via Radio Shack give-aways) and still use them today for barcode reading. Of course, they have to be 'declawed' and modified to suit my needs, but they are strictly 1D barcode readers. And I'm pretty sure they weren't giving away readers for Data Matrix symbols. Data Matrix readers start at several hundred dollars for even the most basic of readers. There was one once that you could get for $99, but I think that company folded a long time ago. Had they been giving them away then, there would have been a serious shortage due to all the people getting them to hack the imagers, similar to what was done with CueCats.
There are many alternative uses for Data Matrix, including one for mobile/cell phones. There's even a site that has released software for creating Data Matrix symbols that could be read with a cell phone, although, they've had some compatibility problems. I've had way too many e-mails from people 'complaining' that my website creates smaller codes than the other software and they want to know WHY!!! Uh, go ask the other guy? The purpose was to produce Data Matrix symbols that would point to a website (the URL would be encoded in the Data Matrix). You use your cell phone to read the Data Matrix (take a picture of it) and then software added to the cell phone (or is it a reference to a website where the decoding is done?) sends your browser cell phone to a website to get more information. You can read more about that one at http://www.semacode.org, I think. That started maybe 5 or 6 years ago and I haven't seen much progress.
You may want to look on the back of your driver's license. PDF417 (2D barcode or stacked linear symbology) has made it's way onto the back of mine in Alabama (yes, we do have cars in Alabama). PDF417 is nothing more than a bunch of 1D barcodes stacked on top of each other, ie a stacked symbology. PDF417 is used to store a lot of information also and maybe the one that you are thinking about. Although, I believe PDF417 also requires a little more expensive reader than say, what a CueCat would be, because the scanner has to scan vertically as it rasters to-and-fro.
The barcode industry, even though there's been several court cases challenging ownership of the patents, are here to stay. RFID (radio frequency tags) was supposed to be the next big thing, but they are having to fight the existing infrastructure and the lack of security for your data being broadcast. Heck, even Wal-Mart gave up after demanding that their suppliers be compliant, oh, say, two years ago?
Oh, and if you travel abroad and your passport is about to expire, you might want to get a new one before they add the RFID chips to them and broadcast your passport information to who knows who!! Please don't tell me it's not a threat, or why would they go back and add shields to the passports? That's great when they are closed, but as soon as you open them.........
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