With Android devices steadily gaining more of the market share, it comes to no surprise that there’s now an easy Bluetooth Input Method available for it; meet BluePiano.

BluePiano is used for barcode scanning with external Bluetooth barcode scanners and generic data gathering tasks, such as medical device data. BluePiano offers a Bluetooth-enabled soft-keyboard, which captures data and forwards it to input fields of pre-determined apps, thus appearing to be entered by the user.

BluePiano is available in English, French, German, Russian and Swdish keyboards and provides up-to-date connectivity feedback. In addition, BluePiano can scan barcodes using Android’s built-in camera, no special barcode scanners required!

Would you use BluePiano on your Android device? Let us know by commenting here, or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Socket Mobile recently released SocketScan™ 10 Software Development Kit, allowing developers to create custom mobile applications for the Socket Bluetooth Cordless Hand Scanner (CHS) Series 7 portable barcode scanner.
The kit is compatible with Windows Mobile 6, Windows 7, and BlackBerry OS5 and features:

ScanAPI library with easy access to functions
• Scan API Tester sample application shows how to interface with Scan API, trigger and scan functions, display number of characters and data scanned in a dialog box
• Includes latest version of SocketScan 10 keyboard wedge software featuring 1D and 2D barcode support, instant connectivity to CHS host devices and remote acknowledgement.

For more information on Socket Mobile and their products, learn more here.

Zebra recently released a new id card software, CardStudio, specifically for Zebra card printers. The software will be available as a bundled and stand-alone product, and will support current and legacy Zebra id printers.

CardStudio is available in three different versions:

Classic
Create and print professional photo IDs with easy-to-use templates and template designer.

Standard
All of the features of Classic, plus others such as an internal database, additional templates, magnetic encoding support, and the ability to import text files

Professional
All of the above features, but is recommended for enterprise application, providing additional advanced features such as smart card and UHF support, security panel and biometric managements.

If you’re not sure which version is for you, you can easily upgrade to another version via a licence key.

For more information on Zebra and their products, learn more here.

Skynax is a comprehensive mobile system management solution from Intermec that links mobile business applications, host applications, and mobile infrastructure, creating a more manageable mobile computing system. Skynax aids in:

Data Management
Offers extensible data processing and integration in real-time between mobile business applications and host applications.

Communications Management
Controls mobile device network connectivity, optimizing networks for reliable data transmission.

Device Management
Provides centralized monitoring of all device assets and control over mobile device provisioning, configuration, and remote updates.

Remote Assistance
Control mobile devices remotely from the helpdesk on any network.

Security and Compliance
Assures compliance with device configuration policies by automatically making the appropriate settings on each mobile device.

For more information on Intermec and their partners, learn more here.

While the Android operating system has gained tremendous popularity among consumers since its release, it has not been a key focus for business use, until recently.

Verizon recently released a new version of it’s Field Force Manager application allowing businesses to easily locate, monitor, and communicate to workers outside of the office.

The new Andriod app offers a rich user interface especially for touch screens, barcode scanning, and powerful search options. There are even two different versions of the app—Limited and Basic, so businesses can choose the version that best fits their needs.

Since Verizon has an extensive offering of Android smartphones, it makes sense that their Field Force Manager is being offered, with the following enhanced features:

• New User Interface
• Powerful Search
• Easy Touch Screen Access
• Built-In Barcode Scanning

While the Field Force Manager App on an Android device seems like a great idea for businesses, I wonder how it will compare to a traditional EDA. What about the infamous battery life of the Android? Will it be able to keep up with today’s challenging business needs? What do you think? Let us know by commenting here, or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.