Barcode Scanning Cell phones

Barcode Scanning Cell phones:
"While it may not surprise you that a cell phone can read a barcode label, what will surprise you is what you can do with that barcode label. You could place a barcode in a magazine and have customers simply read the bar code to preview your product. From movie previews, music previews or text files, your cell phone can now be your link to the consumer market at any time.

How does a barcode do such a thing? And on a cell phone? This new innovation is only available currently for Smartphones, or Mobile PC phones that run software. Also, in order to read these barcodes your Smartphone must have a camera attached to scan the bar code.

Currently in Japan, McDonalds around the country have started placing barcodes on the Hamburger foil, allowing customers to scan the foil their food came in, and see nutritional information about what they ate. In Japan, these codes did not become mainstream until the largest cell phone companies started loading the code readers on all new phones a few years ago. Now, millions of people have the capability built into their phones, and businesses, in turn, are using them all over, on billboards, street signs, published materials and even food packaging.

There are endless possibilities associated with this new barcode industry, anywhere from Insurance Quotes, Boarding Planes, Reservations, Groceries and more, all possible through this breakthrough in barcode scanning technology. Pharmacies could scan your medication, and Myspacers could scan their profile onto their phone, as well as their friends.