• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, November 21, 2011

Barcode technology company Scanbuy Monday announced releasing the latest version of its ScanLife app as the holiday shopping season gets under way. New features include faster scanning rates, access to more product reviews via Best Buy, Buy.com and other sources, and the ability to share deals and product information through Facebook and Twitter. The updated app also includes a live feed of products being scanned worldwide. 

In connection with the new app, Scanbuy is launching a promotion giving shoppers who scan any UPC code with the app to instantly win gift cards worth thousands of dollars. On the ScanLife Facebook page, fans can also enter a contest to design the most creative scanner themes for the ScanLife app. The winning entry will be added to the next version of the app.

Through the first nine months of 2011, Scanbuy recently said it had handled 20 million scans, with the number of active users up 300% in the third quarter from a year ago. People are also using its system to scan product codes in 128 countries, up from 77 in the third quarter of 2010.