When I was still a small kid, I was always amazed by the gadget being used by the cashiers at the payment counters. I thought it was futuristic seeing them point their gun-like tools at the items being purchased and presto, the price flashed on the counter register. It was just later on in my life that realized that those gadgets are called barcode scanners and they are now very useful not just in buying commodities but also in paying my utility bills.