Day 3 - Scanning Apps, a New View with your Phone!

Phones with cameras in them are pretty old news, but as those cameras get better and sharper, they're getting more uses than just taking still pictures and video..  Today's phones can read things in a picture that you and I aren't so good at:

Barcodes
      Most smartphones have some form of barcode-reading app. The most common, and for many the most useful are those that scan barcodes from products to help the user get to reviews and to compare prices from a number of sellers.

QR Codes
      What are QR Codes?  Simply put, they're a lot like barcodes, only where a barcode generally only holds a number, a QR code holds instructions for the smartphone reading them. It may send that phone to look at a website, or have it begin composing a text message, calling a phone number, or receiving a block of text.  For an example, the following QR code contains the address of our home page. Give it a try!

Music
      This is a little different than the first two, but there are also apps that will help you identify a song being played. There are several variations, but all will use the microphone on the mobile to listen to the music and quickly compare and match it to songs in existing databases. Most will help the user save the name or find it on music shopping sites, but with an app like this, that catchy song you keep hearing can be found and added to your collection!