Saturday, September 4, 2010

Review: Barcode Hero for iPhone

Review: Barcode Hero for iPhone
Barcode Hero huh? OK, I said, it actually looks kind of interesting…and different, sort of. And as it turns out, I was right. BH seems to be kind of an experiement in social shopping, and it’s kind of fun for some elusive little reason that I can’t quite put my finger on, but there it [...]

Barcode Hero huh? OK, I said, it actually looks kind of interesting…and different, sort of. And as it turns out, I was right. BH seems to be kind of an experiement in social shopping, and it’s kind of fun for some elusive little reason that I can’t quite put my finger on, but there it is.

The gist of this nifty, and free, app is that whenever you’re out shopping and/or buying you can scan the barcode of your item and let all your Barcode Hero friends know about it and whether you might recommend it or just plain old want the darn thing. And, like on Twitter, you can follow others to keep up with their latest shopping experiences and purchases. Think of it like Facebook’s Visual Bookshelf where you can show off what books you’re reading, or planning on reading only you’re showing off what you’re spending your hard-earned cash on, or just lusting after.

If you can find some folks with similar interests to yours then it’s a great way to find out about new stuff you’ll no doubt love, and stuff you might stay away from. Personally, I’m looking forward to finding some others interested in books to get a steady stream of recommended reading, which BH is perfect for; not to mention music, clothes, cars, or just about anything people spend money on. All this and of course you get to compare prices to see how much the new widget you want costs elsewhere.

But then those crazy folks over at Kima Labs decided to throw in some more fun with the Foursquare-like titles and badges one can accumulate as you scan more and more items. There are dukes and kings and queens, you know the usual stuff. Although, I don’t believe there’s a Ruler of the Universe rank and that kind of saddens me. And given my luck I’ll likely end up with the enviable title of King of Toilet Seat Covers or something.

In the short time I’ve spent with it, I’ve really enjoyed using it, and may have actually found a better deal or two on some things (not toilet seat covers though). The app is free at the App store; you can’t beat that, and who knows, it might actually save you some money and make you a few new friends!.





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