I’ll begin with a confession: I’m not the most technologically savvy person in the world. OK, let’s face it-I’m not even the most technologically savvy person in the household. My 15-year-old daughter is my go-to person for all things gadget related. I maintain that this is not an indictment of my intelligence level, but merely an illustration of the differences in the way our minds work. (She never buys that, but I never believed my mother when she said the same thing to me, either.)

When I first saw a mobile tag in a magazine, I thought that the publication had experienced some kind of technical problem. After all, at first glance, mobile tags are just bizarre-looking little squares with strange patterns in them. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that these little enigmas are actually pathways to a world of information.

All the reader needs to do is download a free app on their mobile phone and scan the tag to be whisked away to a website, video, article-you name it; if it’s got a URL, a mobile tag can link to it. They’re quite amazing, and simple as can be. Take a look at the tag on the cover of this issue for an example, and be on the lookout for additional mobile tags in future issues of ASI.

It’s appropriate that mobile tags are debuting in this issue, since we’re focusing on high-tech aspects of the industry. For example, millions of dollars are spent each year in developing high-tech formulations, but what should companies do to ensure that their formulae are protected? Learn about the limitations of trade secret law in “Shhhh… It’s a Secret.” We also detail high-tech applications in this issue, including an article on “Dispensing for Large-Scale Composites.”

Be sure to take a look at the full Table of Contents on p. 5, or just scan the mobile tag on the cover to access all of the July issue content online.