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"Barcodes" app used as time clock?

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starwarsboy5

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 6, 2009
3
0
I don't have an iPhone yet but I was reading about a "Barcodes" application and I was wondering if anyone is familiar with it. Apparently the app allows you to take a picture of a bar code and it will recognize the code, essentially making the iPhone a bar code scanner.

I'm looking to use this application as a time clock for employees to clock in at a job site using their ID cards.

I don't need any services with it so I was considering picking up a few first gen iPhones just to use for this purpose.

1 - Do you think this would work?
2 - Would I be better off or need to have a service plan to do this?

Thanks for your help!
 
from what i have been reading on the app store this program would not work the iphone camera is simply not meant to scan barcodes.

but thats what i have come to conclude
 
Acronym said:
from what i have been reading on the app store this program would not work the iphone camera is simply not meant to scan barcodes.

but thats what i have come to conclude
Click to expand...

Actually, from what I've read, this application will work to scan 2D (two dimensional) barcodes, but not your standard 1D UPC barcodes like you see in a grocery store.

So if he had 2D barcode cards made it might work for him. The 2D barcodes are called QR and can encode website URLs email addresses whatever. He could probably make it work.
 
This software DOES work to scan typical barcodes, the trick is you need a macro lens to do it. Either the Griffin Clarifi case, or a 3 lens magnifier from Radio shack. With one of those, it works perfectly.
 
Thank you! I think iMatrix looks like it would work well. I just need to figure out how to produce those QR codes.

Does this program require the phone to be hooked up to a data plan to work?
 
starwarsboy5 said:
Thank you! I think iMatrix looks like it would work well. I just need to figure out how to produce those QR codes.

Does this program require the phone to be hooked up to a data plan to work?
Click to expand...

WiFi would suffice. QR codes are pretty easy to generate, but can the program read QR codes that provide some information other than web site URLs? Or can you create a fake URL that you would use for this purpose?

Honestly, it sounds like a major hassle to me vs. just buying a dedicated USB barcode scanner and using a computer.
 
Daremo said:
This software DOES work to scan typical barcodes, the trick is you need a macro lens to do it. Either the Griffin Clarifi case, or a 3 lens magnifier from Radio shack. With one of those, it works perfectly.
Click to expand...

Good to know.
 
mkrishnan said:
WiFi would suffice. QR codes are pretty easy to generate, but can the program read QR codes that provide some information other than web site URLs? Or can you create a fake URL that you would use for this purpose?

Honestly, it sounds like a major hassle to me vs. just buying a dedicated USB barcode scanner and using a computer.
Click to expand...

It does sound a bit convoluted. But I guess if you've already got 10 guys with iPhones of their own and you would otherwise have to buy 10 USB barcode scanners you could save a few dollars with his plan.

Plus it would cool! Don't forget cool :)
 
ghayenga said:
It does sound a bit convoluted. But I guess if you've already got 10 guys with iPhones of their own and you would otherwise have to buy 10 USB barcode scanners you could save a few dollars with his plan.

Plus it would cool! Don't forget cool :)
Click to expand...

Well, see, that's where it makes even less sense. If they are carrying around their own iPhones, why do they need to scan their badges into them? Why not just have a website or something that they go to and check in?

And what do you do with the data in the QR code once it gets on the iPhone? Normally, as above, they're used to launch websites. So... yes, it's "cool" in the way that wearing suspenders and a belt is cool. :p
 
The plan is for the crew lead to scan in the badges of the other employees when they arrive at the job site. Ideally, this data would then be put into some sort of file that would allow me to upload the information directly into the payroll program. If I had this on a data plan, I would think there would be a way to automatically have the information go right into the payroll system as a clock-in/out whenever a barcode is scanned.

I'm thinking this is the most cost effective way of doing this - other than just manually writing down when people arrive, but this would still require a manual entry of their hours. Dedicated, portable bar code scanners are much more expensive. With this idea, I only need one iPhone at each site, not one for each employee.

Also, just to clarify, the job sites are not locations with a computer or any other way of clocking people in and out.
 
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