Camera Phones As Bar Code Scanners

from the more-innovative-uses dept

Mon, Jan 19th 2004 9:53am — Mike Masnick

Considering that we were just talking about the fact that the nice things about camera phones isn't that they're cameras, but the fact that they let you do something different, here's the perfect article to go along with that. There are a number of new applications coming out that let users take photos of product barcodes - and automatically get more information about the product. The info can include anything from detailed info to reviews to coupons to offers at other merchants. This is exactly the type of thing that you can't do with a regular camera that a camera phone lets you do. It's not a replacement for a camera - it's adding new capabilities that open up new possibilities.

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3 Comments

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Mikester, 19 Jan 2004 @ 1:04pm

Good idea, too bad it won't do much
An interesting idea, but I doubt this specific idea will get too far. Most stores have banned any photographic device for years now. Since long before there where camera phones.
Most stores don't like the idea of consumers (or more likely competitors) taking pictures of their products or store. If they find out that customers are taking pictures of their shelves so that they can see if they can get the product cheaper elsewhere, you better believe they'll watching for this activity in their stores.
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- unknown, 28 Sep 2007 @ 8:57am
  
  Re: Good idea, too bad it won't do much
  but that wat you have to do because you would want to buy something fwhere you can get it cheater i do it all the time
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Jan 2004 @ 1:45pm

Too bad for the patent holder.
Man, the guy who has the patent on this idea must be getting pissed. I have yet to see a single implementation of this idea in a non-experimental, commercial context.

Pretty soon the patent is going to run out on this stupid idea... and not a moment too soon.
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