If this summer’s cinematic reboot of Star Trek is any indication, then the current hand-held bar code scanner market is taking future-proofing to a whole new level. Apparently, modern barcode technology was used to help make the movie set look futuristic.  Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed that the “joysticks” in the captain’s seat of the Starship Enterprise are actually Motorola Cyclone M2000 hand-held scanners.  Sure, the device decodes existing, new, and emerging barcode symbologies instantly.  But I guess the Cyclone was picked for its sleek, stylish look that projects the image that you can boldly go where no one has gone before.

So, if you’re looking to take your business into the 23^rd century, or at least look like it is, we can help you out.  The Motorola Cyclone M2000 barcode scanners are available from RACO Industries. And if you’d like to see the M200 in “action,” check out the Star Trek DVD which is set for release on November 17^th.

Michigan Live is reporting that the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAS) has had great success with a new system that allows college admission administrators to capture prospective student information from scanned barcodes, rather than requiring students to fill out information forms with pen and paper.  The system is similar to the barcoding applications that have been deployed at business trade shows and conferences, but has been tailored for college fairs.  The process is quite simple, a bar code is assigned to a student upon entry to the college fair.  This printable bar code is linked to the student's relevant personal information stored in a backend system database.  As the student visits each booth, recruiters can quickly scan the student's bar code to retrieve the student's contact information, allowing the recruiter to spend more time discussing the school's programs rather than waiting for students to complete tedious paperwork.
 

There are many advantages to replacing the college fair paper contact forms with a bar code solution.  First and foremost, the data that is exchanged is much more accurate.  With pen and paper, college recruiters often struggle to read a student's handwritten form.  Secondly, the system speeds up the data exchange process.  Recruiters can spend more time speaking with students.  And lastly, students don't have to drive home with a severe case of writer's cramp.

You may be surprised to hear that the system described above is not difficult to implement.  If you are interested in a similar application, please contact the bar code and data collection experts at RACO Industries.

We were recently challenged to track several hundred uniforms and musical instruments for a major university’s marching band. The quantity was not the problem…. determining which student musician has what uniform and instrument was. The total value of the equipment is in excess of a million dollars and ‘were given out to 18 – 21 year old college students with no means, other than paper and pencil, to track the assets.’

We proposed Z-Space Technologies’ Check In/Check Out Solution Pack; a configurable software solution built upon a SQL database, Crystal Reports, and Z-Space’s ITScriptnet data collection and development/communications software application. This solution is basically designed to track any asset that is frequently in and out of the hands of people. With minor configurable adjustments, it can be used very effectively for the university’s purpose. When integrated, the software solution allows the user to manage the assets and answers the three fundamental questions of asset tracking – Who has it? What is it? and Where is it?

Once the solution is implemented, the process is very simple. Each student utilizes the university-provided ID card with a bar code associated with the student’s ID number. All of the uniforms have a bar code label inside each piece i.e. pants, jackets, hats, shoes as well as all of the instruments. The bar code contains the university’s asset and serial number for accounting and tracking purposes. Labeling the actual instrument proved a little difficult. However, since each instrument has a case, we bar coded the case instead. The band director is provided a handheld mobile computer, like the Motorola MC55 or Unitech PA968, with the application configured on the device.  Now all he needs to do is scan the labels and the student ID barcodes and the application does the rest. To further the cause, we added customized reports and configured the devices and wireless network to communicate in real-time to the host PC.

For more information about this or other Check In/Check Out applications, contact RACO Industries at 1-800-446-1991 or visit us at www.racoindustries.com

We get asked all of the time about justifying the cost of a rugged mobile computer over a non-rugged or a consumer-grade device. Depending on the product, there can be a large cost differences between the two product types. There are three points that we like to make when justifying the cost difference:

1)      Ruggedized mobile computing devices like the Motorola MC55 is designed to resist damage from drops, humidity, misuse and other environmental issues. Consumer- graded devices are not designed this way and after-market cases only provide minimal protection. To put it simply, you drop it….you break it.

2)      Battery life is a very important factor for mobile computing. Ruggedized devices are intended to work for a full eight hour shift with options available to extend this time. This does not just include voice communications – it also includes data transmissions, scanning, image capture and all of the other functions needed for a mobile worker. The battery life for consumer graded devices will die out after only a few hours if used in this way.

3)      The costs for IT to support consumer-graded devices are nearly three times as high due to the increased failure these products. We ask a very simple question…do you want your valuable IT personnel to spend their time on IT projects or troubleshooting broken smartphones? 

For detailed information about the total cost of ownership for mobile computing, view Venture Development Corporation’s white paper. For more information about the value of ruggedized mobile computers, contact a RACO product specialist or visit www.racoindustries.com.

Socket Mobile has just made the BlackBerry a notch cooler and more useful than it already is.  Socket now supports their 7 series Bluetooth bar code hand scanners with the BlackBerry Curve, Pearl and Bold.

A few applications that come to mind are:

-Inventory tracking for route sales

-Bookscouting (searching for bargain books to resell)

-Mobile price checking

-Retail market research

You only have to load a small application on the BlackBerry and then pair it with the Socket Bluetooth scanner and you are ready to start scanning.  The BlackBerry will treat the scan as data entered from the keypad; so the scan will input anywhere you have a cursor.

Don’t have a BlackBerry or need an application developed for the BlackBerry?  No problem, contact RACO Industries to speak with a representative about your specific needs.

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What many people don’t realize after the purchase of a handheld scanner, editing capabilities are already programmed in when the product leaves the factory. Scanners such as the Motorola LS2208, Honeywell 3800g or the Datalogic Powerscan are configured with a simple editing tool that allow the users to make changes in the scanner without making costly changes to the software application. 

The most common problem that arises is when the scanner arrives and either the Enter Key has been programmed in or not programmed in at all. For example, when any of the scanners from Motorola –either corded or cordless – are shipped, they are pre-configured with no post amble. In other words the data that is scanned is sent to the screen ‘as is’ with no CR / LF / RETURN or Enter Key. However, many users want the Enter Key to be automatically sent to the application after a scan. This allows users to do a scan one bar code after another without having to hit an Enter Key on the PC keyboard.  

The solution is quick and simple. Get the reference guide or the product manual from you handheld scanner.  Then go to Scan Data format page and scan the Data + suffix barcode. This will add the Enter key or CR/LF to be automatically sent with the data stream. In case you should ever need to remove the CR/LF or Enter Key, just scan the Data as is barcode.  That’s all there is to it. 

The manufacturer’s product manuals provide instructions to do more advanced formatting, such as tabs or other special characters, but this can be tricky. Contact your RACO representative for assistance with additional handheld scanner programming instructions.

In the past year, we’ve been working on creating videos to help demonstrate products, show troubleshooting techniques, and point out solutions to help your business.  We recently hit a mini-milestone with our 50^th video.  

The fine folks from Datalogic stopped by for a visit to show off their products and point out which ones would be useful for certain industries.  This particular demonstration highlights scanning solutions for healthcare environments.  It’s an important distinction because this equipment needs to withstand regular sterilization and operate in such a way as to not disturb resting patients.  Datalogic has created a number of products that do just that and you can see that in the above clip. We’re already ramping up production on more videos to show you what RACO has to offer.  It shouldn’t be that much longer before we hit our 100^th video.  Keep checking back on RACO Industries’s YouTube channel for more helpful tips and solutions.

1. Obtain the installation files from your RACO representative.
2. Copy the DataWedge.exe to the Application folder on your MC9090 using Microsoft Activesync.
3. Launch File Explorer on the MC9090 which is found in Programs
4. Browse to the \Application directory
5. Double tap DataWedge
6. DataWedge will launch and you can now scan into any application

UPS announced last week that the company will continue to deploy the HP sp400 all-in-one handheld wireless scanner/printer  to its shipping centers.  The device uses a revolutionary quick drying ink that allows users to scan barcodes and print sorting information directly on packages.  The device not only enables UPS to scan, track and process shipments more efficiently, but it will also save the company $30 million by 2013 and help save the environment by eliminating the need for 1,338 tons of paper annually.  The sp400 also eliminates the need for a large thermal printer, a PC and a monitor - freeing up valuable warehouse space.

So how does the device work?  Simply point the device at a 1D or 2D barcode, send the scan data to a backend computer system via integrated Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and "roll" the device along  plain paper, specialty paper, packing tape, or the package itself to instantly print additional information associated with the scan.  See it in action here: