pic2shop

Here’s a really handy app that actually let’s you shop by barcode! How many times have you been at the store and find a product worth purchasing but you’re just not sure if the advertised price is actually a good deal? Even if it’s a “SALE” item, in the back of your mind you are saying to yourself “hmm, I wonder if I can find this cheaper online???”  Well wonder no more!

Pic2shop by Vision Smarts is a clever application that allows you to actually scan the barcode by using the built in camera in your iPhone (Please note this app will NOT work on the iPod touch because it does not have a built in camera). Simply download the free application, point the camera at the barcode until the red line turns green, then instantly find out if the product is a deal worth taking or if its cheaper somewhere else. The app runs a price check on Amazon and other competing sites so you can be a savvy shopper on the go and get the best deal possible.

Now for someone like myself, I find the concept of pic2shop quite practical and convenient. I’ve always wanted the ability to QUICKLY run price checks on specific items that I come across while out shopping. A lot of times you just simply take the stores word for it, (even if the product is on “sale”)  and purchase the item, only later to find out that you could have gotten the identical item for much much less. Thankfully with an application like this you can run the price check and see just how good the deal is.

The app comes with an important additional feature that allows you to manually type in the barcode numbers in case the camera scanner has trouble reading the UPC. This was something that I definitely had to go to on occasion as I experienced some difficulty with certain products. Some items scanned instantly, while others just wouldn’t read and had to be input manually, which takes a little longer but still gives you the same end result.

Putting pic2shop to the test, I discovered that even though the app has some room for improvement, it’s an app that I want on my phone. I see most people getting real use out of something like this. Yeah, there were times when I had trouble scanning and had to manually type (lighting, phone position and distance from the product all play a part in getting good results), and there were also a few times when I had to re-enter the UPC code to get the app to run the check as the first time it came up with “no results”. But more often then not the app worked as advertised and I got the information I needed. The app is running ads at the top, but that’s a small price to pay for a FREE app that gives you usability. There are similar apps in the app store that are priced around $1.99 so pic2shop is definitely a value in itself. I’m quite sure that all my shopping experiences will be different from this point forward now that I have pic2shop. Pick it up today if you want to save a few bucks on your next shopping spree.

FEATURES:

• ALL IPHONES: Not just the 3GS, scans barcodes on the 2G and 3G too!
• GLOBAL COVERAGE: Pic2Shop is in more than 30 countries around the world!
• ONLINE SEARCH: Thousands of online retailers help you get the best prices
• LOCAL SEARCH: Don’t want to pay for shipping? We can tell you if the store down the street has it.
• LIBRARY SEARCH: Why pay when you can check things out? Pic2Shop searches local libraries for what you are interested in and will even tell you if it’s checked out (and when it’s due back!).
• EMAIL: Send the last entry… or the last 20 entries to yourself or a friend via email
• FAST: Identifies barcodes faster and more accurately. We’re not talking jogging vs. running fast, we’re talking Cheetah with a Jet Engine strapped to its back fast.
• COMPATIBLE: UPC-A and EAN-13

Related Posts B

1. Pic2shop barcode scanner app reads even the most difficult QR codes
2. Pic2Shop Raises the Bar(code) in the iPhone Barcode Scanning Wars
3. Vision Smarts upgrades pic2shop app and barcode scanner SDK for iOS4
4. StealthType SMS

Posted by Steve
on 04 7, 2010
PREVIOUS: StealthType SMS
NEXT: Opera Mini