▁convey or ▁sc anning ▁where ▁the ▁unit ▁can ▁be ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁metres ▁away ▁or ▁more ▁from ▁the ▁code . ▁Om n id irection al ▁sc ann ers ▁are ▁also ▁better ▁at ▁reading ▁poor ly ▁printed , ▁wr ink led , ▁or ▁even ▁torn ▁bar codes . ▁ ▁Cell ▁phone ▁cam eras ▁ ▁While ▁cell ▁phone ▁cam eras ▁without ▁auto - focus ▁are ▁not ▁ideal ▁for ▁reading ▁some ▁common ▁bar code ▁formats , ▁there ▁are ▁ 2 D ▁bar codes ▁which ▁are ▁optimized ▁for ▁cell ▁ph ones , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Q R ▁C odes ▁( Qu ick ▁Response ) ▁codes ▁and ▁Data ▁Matrix ▁codes ▁which ▁can ▁be ▁read ▁quickly ▁and ▁accur ately ▁with ▁or ▁without ▁auto - focus . ▁ ▁Cell ▁phone ▁cam eras ▁open ▁up ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁applications ▁for ▁consum ers . ▁For ▁example : ▁▁ ▁Mov ies : ▁DVD / V HS ▁movie ▁catalog s . ▁ ▁Music : ▁CD ▁catalog s ▁– ▁playing ▁an ▁MP 3 ▁when ▁sc anned . ▁ ▁Book ▁catalog s ▁and ▁device . ▁ ▁Gro cer ies , ▁nut r ition ▁information , ▁making ▁sho pping ▁lists ▁when ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁an ▁item ▁is ▁used , ▁etc . ▁ ▁Personal ▁Property ▁invent ory ▁( for ▁ins urance ▁and ▁other ▁purposes ) ▁code ▁sc anned ▁into ▁personal ▁fin ance ▁software ▁when ▁entering . ▁ ▁Later , ▁sc anned ▁rece ipt ▁images ▁can ▁then ▁be ▁automatically ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁appropriate ▁entries . ▁Later , ▁the ▁bar codes ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁rapidly ▁we ed ▁out ▁paper