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Barcode Scanner Apps -- Ones that WORK with EVO?

Greetings community,

Long time Sprint customer, first time Android owner. Unfortunately I have the same problem outlined here. Autofocus seems to be an issue on my EVO when trying to use the Barcode Scanner app. I've downloaded LED Light after reading here and am still having the issue.

After reading that someone else had the same issue then "peeled off the plastic" I too wondered "Is this piece of plastic obvious"?? As I see nothing there and do know that I did peel plastic off of the phone during unboxing. Regardless, here I am. Unable to use a Barcode scanner because, even with the LED Light on (which did obviously brighten up the image) it still just keeps focusing, gets perfectly clear for a second, then starts focusing again.

No one else has this problem EVEN AFTER installing LED Light?

Thanks for the info, I hope to get a lot out of, and contribute to these forums!

P.S. - I've yet to find a *perfect* gadget, but I do love my EVO.
 
Too close was my issue. With the LED Light and just backing up (and realizing you don't have to fill the entire window with the barcode, as you will often be too close if you do this) solved my problem. Thanks for the tip with the LED Light widget!
 
What's the difference between "Bar Scanner" and "Goggles"? I downloaded Goggles cuz my cousin-in-law had that on his Droid and I liked it, so just curious what the difference is.
 
Google Goggles is mostly useful for looking things up on google. It can work with pictures as well as barcodes. Barcode Scanner just reads barcodes (and QR codes). If the code is an app or a web site address, it gives you options of what to do with it. If you want to search for something it has scanned, it hands it off.

Then there is Shop Savvy which scans product barcodes and gives you information on buying the product.
 
One other tip I've found for the focusing issue. Leaving the product on the shelf or putting it on a solid surface lead to a faster read since I only have to steady the one hand holding the EVO.
 
Google goggles reads lots of things from product logos to book/cd/video game covers as well as bar codes. Bar code scanners just read bar codes they can't analyze pictures. Both may have their usages at times.

My problem usually is that the code I scan doesn't come up with any results for price comparisons.
 
get an app like "LED Desire" that allows you to use your phones LED's as a flashlight. then you can keep them turned on for video. yeah it's a workaround, but hey, it's a workaround. :)
 
thisisfun said:
get an app like "LED Desire" that allows you to use your phones LED's as a flashlight. then you can keep them turned on for video. yeah it's a workaround, but hey, it's a workaround. :)
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I wish somebody had pointed that out in the thread earlier. :p
 
I had a problem with my Evo's speaker. It always sounded distorted and buzzy, like a bad set of headphones. I took it to a Sprint store and compared it with the ones there and it sounded totally different. Even the guys at the store agreed with me. So, since it was within 30 days of purchase, I had Sprint send me a new one.

Now I have 2 Evos in my possession, as I have yet to send back the old one. The new one has a much better speaker, so in that respect I'm happy.

However...

The new one's camera does not focus! It is especially noticable when it can't target barcodes, but it is true even when taking pictures. I have put the two Evos side by side and the old one (the one with the bad speaker) simply takes better pictures. And from the exact same spot, the old Evo recognizes barcodes immediately, and the new one just does this autofocus cycle again and again.

So for all you that have a barcode focus problem, trust your instincts, it may not be the lighting after all! I plan to to bring both of my phones to a store soon and show them how one focuses and one does not from the same distance. Looks like I will have to demand a third one. This is annoying.
 
I only have focus issues (with any of the Android phones I've owned) when there is low lighting. Try scanning in a direct light source.
 
Was using barcode scanner the other day...isn't this supposed to give you prices of stores in your area or just internet? Every time I scan it just shows price on the net doesn't seem to helpful
 
scrface said:
Was using barcode scanner the other day...isn't this supposed to give you prices of stores in your area or just internet? Every time I scan it just shows price on the net doesn't seem to helpful
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It's a work in progress... Some things show up with localprices at some stores, and some only have online prices. At least in my area, with the things I've scanned, that's how it's been for me.

Big stores like Walmart almost always have the price, smaller stores don't.
 
I usually am OK but sometimes it seems to have trouble focusing. It will sort of focus and I see it get clear but then it keeps going and "settles" on a focus setting that is a little off. Even the camera does this on occasion and I wish it had a manual focus setting that worked like the zoom wheel. Still, it tends to work fairly well for me in bar code scanner if the bar code is large enough that I don't have to get too close and the light is high enough.
 
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