Find out more about a product from its barcode

Barcode Scanner is a popular Android app that could revolutionize the way you shop, and change the way you download apps.

Barcode Scanner allows you to scan barcodes on products using your phone’s camera. It’s very easy to use – you just hold the lens over the product so that the barcode fits within the rectangle on screen. You’ll see some yellow dots move across the red line while it’s scanning. After just a few seconds, Barcode Scanner should find a match and give you the option to look up the product on Google, where you can view more information about the product and read reviews.

It’s by no means 100 percent foolproof though. In fact, in our tests, it only recognized about three quarters of the products we scanned. Of those that Barcode Scanner recognized, less still were found by Google. Having said this, the app is particularly accurate when it comes to scanning ISBN codes on books, and takes you to the review page on Amazon so you can read more about the title.

Besides helping you find information about products, Barcode Scanner also offers a unique way to download Android applications quickly and easily, using QR codes. These are barcode-style images that you can find on the web, which link to apps in the Android Market. Simply point the camera at the screen and align the QR image, then Barcode Scanner will take you to the app page in the Market where you can download it.

Barcode Scanner is a bit hit and miss when it comes to detecting products. However, it’s great for checking out book reviews online from a bookstore, or downloading apps using QR codes.