For any of you who were disappointed to see the Charles Village Barnes and Noble was closed yesterday (like me), you'll be happy to hear they're back in business today.

According to a store employee I spoke to this morning, the store's cash register system was down yesterday, necessitating the store's temporary shut down. Which meant that I wasn't able to go there during my lunch break and test out a new app that has me kind of excited: pic2shop.

This free barcode reader scans the barcode of any item you're going to purchase, and checks other stores in the area (and on the Internet) to ensure you're getting the best deal.

While pic2shop isn't specifically designed for books, it does have one really neat feature for readers: It searches through your local library's inventory to see if the book you're eyeing is available for lending. Of course, it also gives you alternatives for buying the book, if you want to own it. But I like that it keeps your options open.

So I'm headed over again today to see how well this puppy works. Wish me luck!