Android App Scans Barcodes, Downloads Torrents

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h05KrEjHW6g]

AndroidAndMe is running a bounty program for Android applications. Users can request a specific application and pledge money to be awarded to the developer who delivers the functional app. [Alec Holmes] just fulfilled the first request by creating Torrent Droid. You can use the app to scan media barcodes and then download the related torrent. It uses the phone’s camera to capture the product’s UPC barcode (similar to Compare Everywhere‘s price lookup) and then searches major torrent sites like The Pirate Bay to find a copy that can be downloaded. After getting the .torrent file, the app can submit it to uTorrent‘s web interface for remote downloading. The app will be released later this month and you can see a screenshot tour of it on Alec’s blog. It’s doubtful that an application like this would ever clear Apple’s App Store approval process.

[via TorrentFreak]

27 thoughts on “Android App Scans Barcodes, Downloads Torrents

  1. Does any one know of any apps the will scan barcodes like this on other platforms? I mean any… winmoble, blackberry even just desktop windows/linux/OSX? Everything I’ve seen wasn’t very functional or only handled data matrix or QR formats.

    Any suggestions?

  2. so how long before stores ban the use of smart phones in their media sections? not that any one will pay attention. I’m looking forward to this personally.

    and as for p2p being blocked… it’ll never happend. the demand for it is too high. the riaa is like the u.n. . it doesn’t have the teeth much less the balls to do anything about it. the isp’s have too much money.

  3. @fucter
    wow. didn’t know retail had gotten that vicious… makes sense though.

    oh well, for every new law against technology there is an evolution in gadgets and software to overcome it.

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