Barcode scanning apps are becoming more and more common and quite frankly some just don’t work very well, so here’s a rundown of some new and old favourites and whether they’re worth downloading…
I wrote about the barcode scanning trend last November and it seems even more brands, companies and developers have decided that the functionality would work well as part of their apps. Whether it’s to keep a track of what you’re eating or find out whether you’re getting a good deal, here’s a rundown of some new and old favourites.
FoodScanner
The FoodScanner app does just that, scans the barcodes on your food. However, instead of hunting for a bargain this app has been designed to help you count calories and keep a record of what you’re eating.
I’d argue that a lot of the healthiest foods, i.e. fruit and veg, rarely have barcodes attached to them, but you can also type in what you’ve eaten as well, so if it doesn’t have a barcode you can still add it to your eating record.
I’m no nutritionist but imagine that if you don’t have a particularly healthy diet visualising what you eat on a daily basis in this way might be the wake up call you need.
Available for Apple OSx devices for £2.99. BitchBuzz app rating: 3/5 as it does what it promises but does come with a pretty hefty price tag, for an app that is.
Pic2Shop
The Pic2Shop app is probably my favourite barcode scanning app when I’m shopping, just point at any barcode and it’ll tell you how much you can get it for online.
Granted not all products are stored within the app’s database, but I like to use it for beauty products, just to check I’m not going to get a much better deal elsewhere.
Available for Apple OSx devices, Windows phone and Android devices for free. BitchBuzz app rating: 4/5 because it works but doesn’t have every product on it, which I suppose is expected.
Natalie MacLean Wine Picks & Pairings
Yes, you heard it right, a wine application, combining our love for gadgets AND alcohol.
The Wine Picks & Pairings app from Natalie MacLean not only gives you tonnes of advice about wine generally, it allows users to scan the barcode of wine to get a lot of tailored information including which meals it’ll go best with, how to cook them and what the predominant flavours are in your chosen bottle.
Available for Apple OSx and Android devices for free. BitchBuzz app rating: 5/5 as it’s perfect for wine tasting beginners who don’t know whether a steak would go best with white wine, red wine or even cherry Lambrini…
Amazon Mobile
The dedicated Amazon Mobile app allows you to do a range of things that you can do on the web, such as search, compare items and shop. It also comes with a barcode scanning feature which tells you how much you can get the same product for over at Amazon.com. The barcode scanning functionality is definitely better than any other app I’ve tried and seems to detect the product before I’ve even lined it up on the screen.
All I’d say about this app is that it doesn’t seem to recognise some of the things that are on Amazon.com, such as beauty products, however nothing beats it for books, CDs and video games.
Available for Apple OSx and Android devices for free. 5/5 because even though not every Amazon.com product seems to work, it’s by far the quickest and most accurate app for scanning on the go.
There’s also an Amazon app specifically design for comparing products called Price Check, which is also free for Apple OSx devices.
Becca Caddy is a BitchBuzz Tech columnist and freelance writer. She is also the UK editor of US-based tech blog Popgadget.net. You can follow her on Twitter as @beccacaddy or read her blog beccacaddy.com.