EBay Buys RedLaser Bar-Code Scanning App

EBay on Wednesday acquired RedLaser, a barcode-scanning application for the iPhone, and the related technology from developer Occipital.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The company plans to integrate the RedLaser technology into its existing iPhone apps, including eBay Marketplace, eBay Selling, StubHub, and Shopping.com. The addition will help consumers find deals on any product with a barcode, as well as provide customers listing their products on eBay with comparative pricing information.

The eBay Selling app will be the first app to get the RedLaser treatment, eBay said.

On the RedLaser side, eBay said it will immediately switch RedLaser from a paid app to a free standalone app. EBay will also incorporate more than 200 million listings from eBay and merchants on Shopping.com into RedLaser. EBay promised to increase developer support for RedLaser technology in the future.

"Mobile enables consumers to make impulse buys and convenient purchases wherever they are, and eBay is constantly innovating to make mobile shopping easy and reduce the friction in commerce," Mark Carges, chief technology officer and senior vice president for global products at eBay Marketplaces, said in a statement. "With RedLaser's innovative technology, eBay is continuing to help shoppers quickly find the best deals online, and eBay sellers will be able to list their items faster."

Earlier this year, eBay re-launched its classifieds Web site and introduced an iPhone app to go along with it. The eBay Selling app also made its debut, as did an iPad app.

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Chloe Albanesius

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I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

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Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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