iPhone Amazon App Now a Bar Code Reader

 
 
Andrew cut his teeth as a systems administrator at the University of California, learning the ins and outs of server migration, Windows desktop management, Unix and Novell administration. After a tour of duty as a team leader for PC Magazine's Labs, Andrew turned to system integration - providing network, server, and desktop consulting services for small businesses throughout the Bay Area. With eWEEK Labs since 2003, Andrew concentrates on wireless networking technologies while moonlighting with Microsoft Windows, mobile devices and management, and unified communications. He produces product reviews, technology analysis and opinion pieces for eWEEK.com, eWEEK magazine, and the Labs' Release Notes blog. Follow Andrew on Twitter at andrewrgarcia, or reach him by email at agarcia@eweek.com.
By Andrew Garcia  |  Posted 2010-10-13 Email Print this article Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The latest version of the Amazon Mobile application for iPhone adds the ability to search by reading bar codes, a feature that should really help speed up the process of ordering things online while shopping for ideas in a brick and mortar store - just in time for the holiday shopping season.

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The only new feature added to version 1.2.8, which only works on iPhone 4 and iOS4-enabled iPhone 3GS, can be found under the Search tab at the bottom. I simply needed to click "Scan a barcode" to pop up the camera interface with on-screen guidance to help correctly position the lens for best image capture. It took a couple tries to figure out the proper distance to hold the phone from the product being scanned, how to avoid glare but keep the image in focus, and how to properly center the view on the bar code itself.

Once the device can correctly read and interpret the bar code image, the app automatically captures and sends the bar code to Amazon search. Connected to a fast WiFi network, the app returned the correct results in about a second. I expect the bar code search should also work over AT&T's network, although since I quit the service earlier this year, I couldn't verify that.

 
 
 
 
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