FoodScanner App Review by msbaylor. For more App Reviews, see the TiPb iPhone App Store Forum Review Index!

From the creators of the Daily Burn app & Occipital’s RedLaser technology comes FoodScanner [$2.99 - iTunes link]. If you have used DailyBurn before (or if you haven’t you should, but it’s not required to have an account to use the app), then you should know that tracking the foods you eat can become tedious at times, especially when you can’t find just the right food to enter into your Food Log.

Note: Review is for version 1.0 of app.

Well, FoodScanner simplifies the process, using Occipital’s RedLaser technology. So by using your iPhone’s camera, aim at the food’s barcode & violá, the app will make a beeping noise and load your results nearly instantly, you don’t even have to tap the annoyingly small “camera” button!

Sorry the image is blurry, hard to take a snapshot before the app picks up the barcode.

From there you can enter the food into your Food Log if you wish or you can view nutritional data for the product.

But let’s say the barcode that is scanned doesn’t pull up any results, well, you have the option to add the food to the database by adding the name, serving size, nutritional data & even a picture!

No barcode? No problem! Use a keyword to mind a food & it’s nutritional info. But wait there’s more! Not only is the product added to your database, but to the global one as well, so when they say “a database of 200,000+ items & growing” they aren’t kidding. My only concern is false information, so do make sure when adding the food to your DailyBurn journal, that the nutritional info seems right.

I was really impressed by it’s ability to take a picture of the UPC barcode. I first tested it on the 3GS, no problems, I turned out all the lights and was able to “scan” the barcode using only the dim light radiating off my computer monitor! I then picked up my old iPhone 2G. While yes, the camera does not have a macro lens, the outcome was nearly the same. It took a little longer for the barcode to register, but nothing I’d say I wouldn’t have expected given the camera’s specs.

Another thing to note is that the screen says “hold still” I literally sat down and “trembled” the iPhone 3GS it was able to pick up the UPC code (it almost seemed to pick it up faster…)

This application really starts off where the free DailyBurn app ends. I only hope that they at some point merge the two into a “PRO” application as having two application is mildly irritating, especially if you need the real estate on your home screen. Another thing I’d like to see in the app (if not a ‘PRO” version, then the ability to “switch” between apps with out having to go to the home screen.) Again, realize that you do not need a DailyBurn account to use this, but if you like tracking your nutrition, then I highly recommend an account & the free DailyBurn app. The app is starting at an “introductory price” of $2.99. I hope they don’t raise the price too much, as I wouldn’t want to pay over the $2.99, $3.99 would be the absolute max. This is a really great concept & awesome app; however, the fact that I can’t go back to simply view data on previously scanned foods is a little annoying.

Pros:

• Utilizes Occipital’s RedLaser technology
• quickly get food & nutritional info from the product’s UPC
• Add items to the database
• Optionally sync with DailyBurn account
• Works well on both the iPhone 3GS & iPhone 2G (from what I tested)
• Easy UI

Cons:

• Viewing previously scanned “today” objects, you cannot view their info.

TiPb Review Rating

Every week a few of us from team TiPb, bloggers and forum crew alike, will bring you our current favorite, funnest, most useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone (or iPod touch) related, they’re fair game.

So who’s on deck this week and what are our picks? Find out after the break!

Chad’s Pick: RunKeeper Pro

Since picking up my Vibram FiveFingers shoes, I can’t use Nike+ so I needed a solid alternative. RunKeeper Pro really eliminates the need for anything else! It uses GPS to track your route, distance, speed, elevation and pace! You can create your own custom workouts and there is voice feedback too. When a workout is done, the information can be sent to their website and sent to Twitter or Facebook. I am very pleased with the product and the developer is promising new features! Checkout http://runkeeper.com! [$9.99 - iTunes link]

Chris’ Pick: FanGraphs Baseball

I am a big baseball fan, and a fan of math and stats – the two go hand in hand. Well, I recently saw a new baseball app put out by fangraphs. This cool little app gives you a graphical output of the win probability as the games are in progress, and adjusts it as events unfold. You can also see standard box scores, in-game events, and look up statistical information about any player in history (lots of cool stat,s including things like $ value and WAR). For any stats oriented baseball fan, I recommend taking a look at this! [$2.99 - iTunes link]

Jeremy’s Pick: Army of Darkness Soundboard

The Army of Darkness soundboard is a simple app but it is so damn cool for the hardcore Bruce Campbell fans out there. It’s just so “Groovy”… [Free - iTunes link]

Matt’s Pick: FoodScanner

From the creators of the Daily Burn app & Occipital’s RedLaser technology comes FoodScanner. If you have used DailyBurn before, then you should know that tracking the foods you eat can become tedious at times, especially when you can’t find just the right food to enter into your Food Log. FoodScanner simplifies the process by scanning the barcode on the food product. The barcode detection is incredibly accurate even for reflective surfaces. Highly recommended for anyone logging/tracking their food intake. Check out the full review for more. [$2.99 - iTunes link]

Rene’s Pick: NAVIGON MobileNavigator North America

What a difference a year makes. Last year’s iPhone 3G and the debut App Store had no turn-by-turn navigation apps — the SDK didn’t even allow them! Now, with iPhone 3.x, as long as your BYOM (bring your own maps), turn-by-turn is good to go. And go it’s gone, with everyone from the biggest players in the game to upstart and open source contenders. But that makes choosing one really difficult. Based on Chris’ reviews so far, and on feature sets delivered, I decided to give NAVIGON MobileNavigator North America. And so far, so very good. Directions are precise, the text-to-speech for street names is understandable, and the app itself is highly usable. [$89.99 - iTunes link]

Your Pick?

You’re part of team TiPb too, so what’s your pick? What app was your absolute fav last week? Let us — and everyone — know in the comments!