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When I wrote about five applications we wish were made for the BlackBerry last week, one thing I mentioned was a barcode scanner. A commenter was kind enough to point me to NeoReader, a comparable but not well known application for the BlackBerry. Excited, I decided to test out the application right away. So for those of you wanting to know a bit more about this application, read on.
To get the NeoReader, go to http://get.neoreader.com/ in your BlackBerry browser. You’ll go through the download process. Once done, open up your camera application and go to Options. If your picture size is set to Large, you’ll have to bring it down to Small. That’s the setting compatible with NeoReader. You can then open the application, which will prompt you to set the permissions. It allows a lot, and I know some people might not be comfortable with that. Still, it’s the only way to use the application.
After the app starts up, I suggest going to Preferences and turning the audio off. You don’t want to hear the shrill sound the program makes if a barcode read fails. From there, select Click, which will bring up your camera application. So get shooting. Find a barcode and scan it.
This is where I hit a problem. I couldn’t get the camera to focus on the barcode enough, and each time the scan was rejected. I did this under both the CFL light in my office and the florescent light in my kitchen. Multiple attempts in each position failed. I even wiped off the camera lens. Still nothing. I’m sure other people have gotten it to work, but with my Curve it was a no go.
Thankfully, you can take advantage of the application by manually entering the barcode. It might not be as cool as just taking a picture of it, but hey, it’s the same thing in the end. From there you can compare prices, read reviews, and find similar items.
Has anyone else had success with this app? If so, is there some kind of trick, or is my camera just not good enough?
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22 Comments ↓
I am downloading NeoReader now. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I have a curve and the same thing happened. The camera couldn’t focus on the barcode enough, and each time the scan did not work.
I didn’t try the app, but did take a look at my Curve’s ability to focus on a bar code, getting close enough for the bar code to almost fill the screen. The fixed-focus lens is just not going to give a clear picture when the subject is only 2 inches away.
A large picture size may allow you to get far enough away from the subject to get a clear picture while still maintaining enough resolution on the area containing the bar code for this to work, but that I can still see the app being useful as is.
I would figure that it would be very hard to get a normal BlackBerry camera to work with this application. I had a G1 briefly for testing and I used the barcode scanner on that phone. The G1 has auto focus so it did work, but for some barcodes, such as smaller ones it was harder for the camera to focus on each individual line in the barcode, which it would not end up scanning. With new BlackBerries such as the Storm and Curve 8900, this application should work much better due to the auto focus feature on the camera (when it is available). I guess neoreader needs to be updated for BlackBerries. Here is one I found on CrackBerry Forums http://www.beetagg.com/supportedphones/#Blackberry seems to be supported by more phones and is said to work better.
iirc, it only works with 2D barcodes (the ones with all of the squares), and not 1D barcodes (the ones that have the bars)
Yeah, I thought the Curve camera was fixed focus, not auto focus???
I wonder if anyone has tried this on a Storm?
I just tried on my storm and as of yet it is not compatible.
I was excited as hell to see this app out there; however, it is not available for the 8220. Bummer!
tried app on storm. says app not avalible for storm
It has to be a 2D Barcode, made to communicate. Scanning random regular barcodes will not work.
The Blackberry has no macro focus, which is what you will need in order to read a 1D UPC barcode. The same goes for the iPhone. That being said, the NeoReader does a great job reading 2D Data Matrix, Aztec, and QR codes.
I’ve used this application, and its a function of focal distance. Try holding the Blackberry about an inch off the page, then start increasing the distance from the camera to the barcode. I believe the focal distance on a 1″ square 2D code is around 5″. You can see a description of another camera barcode reader at our review of the Motorola MC75.
Hang on a bit the technology is there for 10 codes. We use cam scanners installed in Moto Pocket PC’s on 10 codes and 20 codes. Give it a while and it will surely hit the Berry,s
I was trying to use it on a Bold. Same result, even with 2D Codes. It only worked once with one of the sample codes on their page….
Tried with BB bold and codes generated at neoreader web site and at nokia web site. Success most of the time (75%) It is true that the ‘failure’ signal is really annoying
Still not available for the Storm.
The web site works well for keying in the codes
If they allowed for the Autofocus on the Storm, it should work – the Storm version apparently doesn’t even try to use the auto-focus on the Storm and apparently the focus when the auto-focus isn’t used is impossible to get anything in sharp enough focus to use.
With the new BB Tour’s camera I believe it does do auto focus … maybe this will work for it ?
Worked with my Curve 3810, Only the 2D codes ofcourse, wich you can generate yourself at the Neoreader site
Tried NeoReader, BeeTagg, and ScanLife with a BB Tour. The camera does autofocus, and both “line” barcodes and 2d barcodes come in crystal clear in the picture, but all programs fail to ever read the line barcodes successfully. How can the iPhone make this so easy and yet a BlackBerry with an autofocus 3.2mp camera fail so miserably?
its works when scanning the barcode you have to hit enter the button right under del
Don’t waste your time with this application if you have a storm.
Focusing the camera is imposible.
I found another scanning application in Blackberry Apps name edocrab that works much better. It focus well, search the web, give you prices and reviews. And it is FREE.
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