A look at the Hiku Labs Hiku grocery list assistant (pictures)

This tiny device uses voice recognition and bar code scanning to automate grocery list making.

The scanner recognized many of the UPC codes I tried, and you can use voice commands to assign product names to codes it doesn't recognize.

You scan a product simply by pushing a button.

The back of the unit has a built-in magnet, making it easy to keep a Hiku handy on the side of a refrigerator.

You charge it via USB, and the tiny divot under the port is where, via a bobby pin or similar, you can access the reset button.

Hiku Labs says the device is small and easy enough for a child to use.

Along with the green OK status light, you may also have to decipher red and orange indicators flashing from inside the device.

The list app is clean and intuitive, and the company says it's working on building in an online shopping service in the near future. It's iOS-only for now, but an Android version is also in the works.

You can customize list items, and also assign them to different lists.

You can also use the Hiku app to scan bar codes. It bears asking why Hiku isn't just an app.