BarcodeReader

BarcodeReader let’s you use your iPhone as a wireless barcode reader for your computer.

Using your iPhone’s autofocusing camera, BarcodeReader will read barcodes and send them to your computer. Customize the keystrokes to be sent before and after the barcode. Use it with other software on your computer (like Delicious Library) to inventory your books, DVDs, or anything else with a standard barcode. See the blog post on how to use BarcodeReader with Delicious Library 2.

Or you can use BarcodeReader to interact with your own web services. BarcodeReader can automatically open an URL and pass it the barcode. Use it to lookup and update records in a database.

BarcodeReader supports most popular formats including EAN-13/UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, ISBN-13, ISBN-10, Code 128, Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, and QR Code.

BarcodeReader makes use of SupermarketCheckout.wav by acclivity from freesound.org.

Information on configuring custom keystrokes for prepending or appending can be found here.

You can find it on iTunes [BarcodeReader iTunes link].

Got a question?

Directions

Screenshots

Configuring Your Computer – Windows

  1. Download a VNC server. Barcode Reader recommends TightVNC. You can find it at http://www.tightvnc.com/.
  2. Install TightVNC. Choose options as you see fit. If you plan on using VNC for other purposes, you may want to run it as a service.
  3. Start the VNC service, if necessary. Start -> All Programs -> TightVNC -> Launch TightVNC Server.
  4. The first time you start the server, you will need to configure the password.
  5. Add the computer to ControlPad using the IP address of the computer and the password you configured. TightVNC adds a tray icon, if you hover over the tray icon, it will display the IP address or addresses.
  6. You will likely need to configure your firewall by adding an exception for the TightVNC server or adding an exception for TCP port 5900.

Configuring Your Computer – OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

  1. Navigate to “Sharing” under “System Preferences”. Apple Menu -> System Preferences… -> Sharing
  2. Once in “Sharing”, select “Screen Sharing”.
  3. Select the button “Computer Settings…”.
  4. Check the checkbox that reads “VNC Viewers may control screen with password:” and enter a password. Click “OK” afterwards.
  5. Click the checkbox next to “Screen Sharing” on the left. Make sure it is checked On. If it was On before and you changed the VNC setting in step 4, you may want to toggle it on and off just to make sure settings were correctly stored.
  6. Make a note of the IP address that is displayed in the sentence that begins with “Other users can access your computer at …”. The “vnc:” and the “/”’s at the beginning and end are not needed.
  7. Add the computer to BarcodeReader using the IP address of the computer and the password you configured in step 4. BarcodeReader should also automatically discover your computer then next time you run BarcodeReader. You may choose to look it up this way also.

Configuring Your Computer – OS X 10.4 (Tiger)

  1. Navigate to “Sharing” under “System Preferences”. Apple Menu -> System Preferences… -> Sharing
  2. Once in “Sharing”, check the checkbox next to “Apple Remote Desktop” to enable it.
  3. It should automatically bring up settings related to “Apple Remote Desktop”. If not, click the “Access Privileges” button.
  4. Check the checkbox that reads “VNC Viewers may control screen with password:” and enter a password. Click “OK” afterwards.
  5. Make a note of the IP address that is displayed in the sentence that begins with “Others can manage your computer using the address …”.
  6. Add the computer to BarcodeReader using the IP address of the computer and the password you configured in step 4. BarcodeReader should also automatically discover your computer then next time you run BarcodeReader. You may choose to look it up this way also.

Configuring Your Computer – Ubuntu

  1. Navigate to the “Remote Desktop” configuration panel: System -> Preferences -> Remote Desktop
  2. Enable “Allow other users to view your desktop”.
    Enable “Allow other users to control your desktop”.
    Enable “Require the user to enter this password:”
    Enter a password and close the dialog box.
  3. Add the computer to BarcodeReader using the IP address of the computer and the password you configured in step 2. BarcodeReader should also automatically discover your computer then next time you run BarcodeReader. You may choose to look it up this way also.