iPhone scanning apps 'misread' information

Popular iPhone scanning apps consistently misread product information, according to the Cranfield School of Management.

Its report into the accuracy of the three most downloaded third-party scanning apps for the iPhone found that fewer than nine percent of scans return the correct product information.

In a statement, Richard Wilding, professor of supply chain strategy, said this level of inaccuracy was a serious concern because some consumers use barcodes to locate product information for health reasons. "When scanning the barcode of a leading brand of cornflakes, one app provided information about dog bowls. When scanning another barcode for thick sliced bread, information about a disposable latex glove dispenser was provided," he said.

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see iPhone shopping apps fail to scan on silicon.com.