If you’ve seen those little 2D barcodes in magazines and on products, you know what this is about. Scanbuy has created a little app called ScanLife that lets you quickly scan the barcodes while out and about and automatically be redirected to the product’s website or what have you. Now, you can get this nifty application on your iPhone for free.
All you have to do is download the application from the App Store. Then, when you come across an EZcode you want to scan, just take a picture of it with the camera phone and an action will launch that is attached to the code.
EZcodes can launch websites, take you to a specific song on iTunes or even open up a YouTube video. These codes aren’t everywhere yet, but if they catch on, this will be a convenient way to track down products without performing an exhaustive search.
[via Crave at CNET]
For starters, ScanLife can only read and decipher proprietary EZcodes. Unfortunately the ScanLife application offers no support for 1D UPC/EAN barcodes, or Data Matrix, Aztec, or QR codes. This is the major downfall of the application, since it only supports one proprietary 2D symbology. As a result, ScanLife is not a true universal code reader.
For those wanting a much more intuitive mobile code reading experience, I highly recommend the NeoReader application from NeoMedia Technologies. The NeoReader is able to read and decipher all common non-proprietary 2D codes (Data Matrix, QR, Aztec) as well as URL embedded 2D codes and all 1D UPC/EAN/Code 128 open source codes. The NeoReader supports direct and indirect code linking, which guarantees maximum interoperability with already existing platforms like 2D Data Matrix Semacodes, and Japanese QR links. This allows the user to click on a variety of barcodes with a single application installed on their mobile device.
Download the NeoReader and instantly transform your iPhone into a universal code reader.