RedLaser iPhone Application $1.99 at Apple

Apple is offering an I-Phone application called RedLaser for $1.99 that will allow you to read bar codes while you are in a store. The application will not only tell you the price of the item, it will also give you the prices of the same item in a number of other stores. I searched RedLaser and could not find a previous post and I believe that this application will be great for real time shopping in B & M stores.

This link will give you more information:

http://redlaser.com/

And why is this a hot-deal? Are you going to post each and every iPhone app, one by one on FW?

I don't have an i-phone but this sounds like a very useful app for deal hunters. Nice post OP.

First this is a Repost.

Second, a few comments on the app. It is a pretty cool app. It works FAST. I works off the video. Some of these scanners work off of a picture that you take. Or at least you have to line up the image, and click the scan button -snap- a picture is taken and the scanner then attempts to read it. But redlaser keeps trying to work even as your lining up the camera on the bar code. The first time I used it, Redlaser managed to read the code, even before the autofocus on my 3GS kicked in.

BUT. . . it doesn't work quite like some deal hunters suggest. I've seen it suggested that you could wonder through the grocery store comparing prices to others stores on things. Currently redlaser gets it's info from Amazon. This means for instance, I pick up a can of pringles, read it, and it comes back with the price of a case of pringles purchased from Amazon. That price might not be so helpful to most folks. And most food items you pick up, won't even be in Amazon. But books, DVD's, CD's . . . well we know that those items are found in Amazon.

Also once an item is found, like perhaps Miller's Crossing on DVD. Then in addition to Amazon, you'll also get a price comparison using google shopping.

I have the app, and I like it. Although admittedly, I haven't really found a good use for it yet. Perhaps, when I'm christmas shopping I'll use it to check that I'm not getting F_cked on the price of some book.

Bear

Crank said: I saw this today and wondered how it's any more useful than just typing the UPC number into Froogle?
Unless RedLaser has a proprietary database of pricing information (that is accurate) I don't see that this is a big enough advantage to use, let alone pay $2 for.

I did download a similar, free app called pic2shop, but since it's really not much more difficult to type the number into Froogle, I'll probably just do that the few times I need to comparison shop on the fly.

Thanks, I'm more interested in free alternatives, will give pic2shop a try

bearsloft said: First this is a Repost.

Second, a few comments on the app. It is a pretty cool app. It works FAST. I works off the video. Some of these scanners work off of a picture that you take. Or at least you have to line up the image, and click the scan button -snap- a picture is taken and the scanner then attempts to read it. But redlaser keeps trying to work even as your lining up the camera on the bar code. The first time I used it, Redlaser managed to read the code, even before the autofocus on my 3GS kicked in.

BUT. . . it doesn't work quite like some deal hunters suggest. I've seen it suggested that you could wonder through the grocery store comparing prices to others stores on things. Currently redlaser gets it's info from Amazon. This means for instance, I pick up a can of pringles, read it, and it comes back with the price of a case of pringles purchased from Amazon. That price might not be so helpful to most folks. And most food items you pick up, won't even be in Amazon. But books, DVD's, CD's . . . well we know that those items are found in Amazon.

Also once an item is found, like perhaps Miller's Crossing on DVD. Then in addition to Amazon, you'll also get a price comparison using google shopping.

I have the app, and I like it. Although admittedly, I haven't really found a good use for it yet. Perhaps, when I'm christmas shopping I'll use it to check that I'm not getting F_cked on the price of some book.

Bear

Good summary. Like a lot of other iPhone apps, scanning the barcode is a seemingly cool way to do it and RedLaser is one of the better as far as how the scan works, but the real world practicality is kind of limited in my experience.

I have it and it's awesome, but this is the normal price for the app.

Yeah, I posted about this in the deal discussion forums last week. It is a great app, though I have not used it for anything useful yet. I pretty much just scan everything I can get ahold of because it amazes me that it works.

gizmotoy said: Despite their prevalence, I'm still surprised how often iPhone and iPod are misspelled. This app is not being offered by Apple, but was created by Occipital. It's been in the Top 10 apps for probably at least a month now, so it's not obscure. Finally, $1.99 is its regular price. While the app works well and is certainly the best of its kind, I'm struggling to figure out how this belongs in Hot Deals.

Struggle away. Thanks for the heads-up OP! Nice app.

thisisapain25 said: Struggle away. Thanks for the heads-up OP! Nice app.

It may have helped you, but that doesn't change the fact that it clearly doesn't belong in the Hot Deals forum. It's not even on sale, it's selling at its regular price! It belongs in one of the discussion forums, where there is already a thread about it.

You're going to get a shirt for THIS?

hammersj said: You're going to get a shirt for THIS?

Only deals from affiliated merchants... I don't know if the app store qualifies as the Apple Store

realdealesq said: Struggle away. Thanks for the heads-up OP! Nice app.

Thank you for your kind words. I never meant to throw anyone into a quandary.

I'm sorry, did you just thank yourself for posting this???? As has already been said, this is regular price for this app. No deal here.

Deetz said: Seems like this app has made the top 25 list. Fw effect or was it there before?

Na, this app has been in the top 25 for awhile. It is a good app, just not a HOT deal.

Bear

litewallet said: If its only for dvd's and books I use a free app called snaptell. pretty cool from what I have seen. But if this app helps in groceries etc(hopefully not just Amazon) then its worth the price. might check it out. Thanks OP.

It doesn't. That is exactly my appoint from an earlier post. If Redlaser can't find the UPC at Amazon, then that's it. NADA.

Bear

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