The Odom Corporation, a leading Alaska and Pacific Northwest beverage distributor, needed a reliable, flexible mobile computer solution that would reduce errors and enable them to increase order fulfillment. After researching, The Odom Corporation decided to deploy the Intermec CK3 mobile computer featuring Vocollect Voice, a solution that enhances operational efficiencies and inventory accuracy, all while reducing the total cost of ownership.

During the day, Odom uses the CK3 to replenish and check inventory via the devices’ EX25 Near/Far 2D Imager Engine, which provides omni-directionality of up to 50 feet away while increasing the image quality and scanning speeds, and thus making Odom more efficient.

During the evening, Odom uses the Vocollect Voice software on the Intermec CK3 with Vocollect headsets to load trucks, allowing mobile workers to operate the CK3 in hands free mode, thus improving productivity, safety, accuracy and operational efficiency.

Because of the Intermec CK3’s high durability, it is ideal for rugged environments such as at The Odom Corporation. Since the mobile device is used differently in the day than in the evening, it’s nice to see that the Intermec CK3 is very flexible, allowing users to easily add capabilities such as voice, mobile receipt/label printing and RFID.

The combination of the Intermec CK3 with Vocollect Voice is the ideal solution for a corporation like Odom that requires a flexible solution that excels in warehouse environments and with mobility in the field.

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

Datalogic recently released their next generation of Gryphon 2D barcode imagers, the Gryphon D432/D412.  These recent additions can improve productivity in a variety of applications, and are ideal for retail and light industrial environments.  The Gryphon 2D Plus supports numerous symbologies, including 1D, 2D, postal barcodes, as well as stacked and composite codes like PDF417 and GS1 DataBar.  Equipped with Datalogic’s patented Green Spot Technology and 5-dot aimer, you’re sure to get accurate reads.  In addition to the standard features of the Datalogic Gryphon, the 2D Plus also enables image capture for applications that require signature capture or wide document scanning.  For more information about the new Datalogic Gryphon 2D Plus barcode imager, you can read the Product Profile.

UCLA engineers have developed a new imaging technique for barcode scanners that provides the fastest data capture scan rates in the world.  This new imaging technique is based on recent breakthroughs in ultrafast analog-to-digital conversion and is known as amplified dispersive Fourier transform.  According to UCLA, the new CWEETS Scanner (chirped wavelength electronic encoded time domain sampling) “first maps the one-dimensional bar code image onto the spectrum of an ultrashort laser pulse and then maps that into an amplitude-modulated waveform that is captured with a single optical-to-electrical converter.”

Unlike laser barcode scanners, the CWEETS Scanner has no moving parts to limit the speed of data capture.  The CWEETS Scanner also only requires one pixel to capture an entire image unlike a CCD scanner that requires an array of pixels.  Both of these current technologies can provide frame rates of about 1,000 frames per second, but the CWEETS Scanner can read barcodes at a frame rate of 25 MHz, about 1,000 times faster than the devices currently in use.

You can learn more about the technology used in the CWEETS Scanner by watching this Video or reading the Applied Physics Letters article about the UCLA project.

I’ve had a few questions recently about scanning barcodes from cell phone displays or other LCD screens and I thought adding this as a Question of the Week would help everyone out…

Question:

Is it possible to make a UPC-A barcode jpeg file from a barcode generator and send it to my cell phone, then scan that picture as my grocery membership card?

Answer:

In order to scan a barcode from an LCD display you would need a barcode imager.  Most likely, the registers at your grocery store are equipped with laser barcode scanners and not imagers.  Laser scanners aren’t capable of reading symbols from a cell phone display, so this won’t work.  It’s a good idea though.

This kind of application does exist for m-ticketing or mobile ticketing; you may be interested in reading my post about this technology.  Mobile ticketing utilizes 2D barcodes rather than a linear barcode like the UPC-A you mentioned in your question.  2D symbologies work best for this type of application and many believe the Aztec Code is the best suited barcode.  You never know, as the use of 2D barcodes spread, your local grocery store may upgrade to barcode imagers and then your application could work.  If you would like more information about barcode imagers or laser barcode scanners please contact me at ehodges@barcode.com.

Samsung has just announced that they will be releasing camera phones pre-loaded with Scanbuy’s 2D barcode application.  This application is capable of reading EZcodes like the one pictured at left and other major 2D barcodes.  As early as next month these phones will be hitting the streets of Spain, Italy and Denmark, and eventually as availability grows, the United States.  Samsung is the second largest phone manufacturer in the world, so this pre-loaded application is going to wind up in a lot of people’s hands.   I’m sure those who’ve never heard of a 2D barcode will become quite familiar with using them to access information since it will come standard on their phone.  It looks like the QR code craze that has been going on in Japan for quite awhile will be making more of an appearance in the United States and countries throughout Europe.  I for one can’t wait!  For more information on EZcodes you can visit ScanLife Technology and read more, or watch a short video that explains how the technology works.