ScanLife 4.0, includes a couple cool new features to make barcode scanning a bit more fun for the holiday season.  One feature allows users to customize the scanner screen by selecting from themes like “Top Gun” and “Holiday Cheer”.  Just go to the Settings screen in the app to change it any time!

Current theme examples from our app:

Now we want YOU to design the next custom Scanner Theme and be seen by millions of ScanLife users around the globe!

So whether you’re a Photoshop expert or just have a knack for basic design, we want to see your ideas.   Make it fun, make it cool, make it colorful – whatever you want!  Just remember to leave some open space in the center of the screen so you can see what you’re scanning…

What do you get?

The winner will receive a $200 Gift Card and have their personal Scanner design embedded in the next release of the ScanLife app for iPhone and Android!

Rules to Enter

1. Create any kind a visual representation of your idea – can be a rough representation or a finished design, but we need more than text.
2. Upload your design to our Facebook wall – www.facebook.com/scanlife
3. Get as many Likes as you can which will influence the final judging

Entries will be taken until January 1st, 2012.

Now get creative and good luck!  If you don’t have the current ScanLife app, just go to www.getscanlife.com from your mobile device.

We’ve been working hard on some cool features to make your ScanLife app experience better than ever.  We’ve packaged it all up to give you ScanLife 4.0  right before the holiday shopping season to make it easier and more fun to scan QR Codes, UPC codes, and more.   It is now available for Android and iPhone as of today!

Here’s what you’ll find:

• View a Live Feed of products being scanned around the world in real time.  Click a product to view more info just like you scanned it.
• Ability to choose themed scanners such as a “Top Gun” or “Holiday Cheer”
• Delete individual items in History, or clear all (new for Android)
• Access to additional product reviews from retailers like Best Buy and price comparisons from Buy.com
• Access to nutritional facts and ingredients directly from brands like Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Pepsi (US only)
• Capability to share deals and products on Facebook and Twitter
• A completely redesigned user interface when reviewing product information
• Even faster scanning for UPC and QR Codes

Live Feed:

Product Results:

You can download the app from your stores, or even better just scan this code and we’ll send you to the right store using our OS Detection filter!

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED.  STAY TUNED FOR MORE SOON!

Want to be rewarded for scanning Coke and Pepsi?

Now you can with the ScanLife Jackpot.

Here’s how to play:

1. Open the ScanLife app on Android, iPhone, or BlackBerry (search your app store, or go to getscanlife.com from the phone).
2. Scan a UPC code on a 12 oz. can, or 16 20 oz. bottle of Coke and Pepsi, or now Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi [added 5.3.11].
3. Now just scan those products as many times as you want and hope you hit the winning scan!

Winners will be announced every day and can choose from a variety of Gift Cards from major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Macy’s and more!

Remember, the more you scan the better chance you have to win!

We have reported before that half the scans from ScanLife come from regular UPC codes on product to get information like price comparisons, user reviews, MP3 downloads, and other details.  We take each UPC number and look it up through a number of data feeds supplied by Amazon, Google, Linkshare, and major retailers to give you the most relevant data from every scan.

Now, we have released a way for you to connect to that portal from other apps like Google Barcode Scanner or Red Laser.  This can also be used by developers that are using the ScanLife SDK or other SDK’s to build your barcode scanning apps!

Here’s how to set it up in the Barcode Scanner app on Android:

(more…)

We told you a couple months ago that Verizon has integrated codes into their new Droid Does campaign which touts a wide variety of Android apps for any occasion.   The QR Codes have been placed on print ads, store displays, websites, and even iPad ads.  And guess what, they got scanned – over 150,000 200,000 times!! (as of 8/15/10)

You can view a full case study right here.  Bottom line is that this is the most widely scanned 2D barcode campaign we have ever seen in the US, and it’s still going full force…

For anyone watching TV lately in the US, you may have noticed that Verizon has launched an update to their popular “DROID DOES” campaign.  The new ads are now touting a huge world of apps available through Android Market – basically there’s more than one kind of phone that gives us a bunch of apps.

Notice anything familiar in the middle of the image below?

The great part is that they are using 2D barcodes, specifically QR codes, on most media as part of the campaign (print ads, in-store displays, website, and even an iPad ad).  These codes are of course powered by ScanLife, and there is usually a call to action which drives people to get the ScanLife app if they don’t already have a barcode reader on the phone by texting SCAN to 43588.

You can check out their website here, and here are a few images:

iPad Ad:

The purpose of the codes is two-fold. It gives Android phones easy and direct access to apps that are relevant to the topic being covered in the ad.  So if you’re flipping through Travel & Leisure, you can scan the code to get some great travel related apps like Lookout.  But, if you don’t have an Android phone, Verizon will recognize that and instead take you to a mobile formatted site about the DROID.  From here they will convince you that you have a sub-par phone, and need to buy the DROID ASAP.

This is a great example of how to convert something that is static into a virtual download/information portal.  In one scan, you are downloading apps or learning more about what you could do with this device if you actually had one.

It is fantastic to see the largest US carrier using the technology, and we are thrilled to have Verizon leading the way!