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.

Here at barcode.com, we’ve mentioned near field communication, or NFC, a fair amount of times, but what exactly is it? Basically, Near Field Communication is a short-range, high-frequency form of wireless communication that enables data to be exchanged between devices approximately 4 inches apart. NFC is a simple extension of RFID that combines the interface of a smartcard and a reader into a single device. It is primarily used in mobile phones, but has also been popping up in other applications such as touchatag.

Both NFC and Bluetooth are forms of short-range communication technology that are integrated into mobile phones, however, NFC requires a shorter set-up time. Rather than performing manual configurations to identify Bluetooth devices, the connection between two NFC devices is established at under a tenth of a second. In addition, unlike Bluetooth, NFC is compatible with existing RFID structure and can work when one of the devices is not battery powered.

There seems to be a strong following of people who favor NFC to similar technologies. To learn more about NFC, you can visit the NFC forum here.

The Intermec CV30 is a compact, full-screen vehicle mount computer that provides support for RFID, speech recognition, and voice, all incorporated into a rugged design. The CV30 includes the latest radio technologies such as 802.11x and Bluetooth scanning and peripherals support, enabling wired or wireless operation. Because of this, its ideal environment is in mobile warehouses and/or inventory-control applications such as forklifts and holsters. Since there is a limited amount of space on most equipment, the compact form and rugged design of the Intermec CV30 makes it a great choice for fixed mount applications such as cross docking, manufacturing work stations, shop floor, and other warehouse distribution environments.

As with all of Intermec’s rugged products the CV30 is engineered to withstand the abuse of the harshest industrial environments in order to satisfy user demands. In order to ensure survival, they are thoroughly tested in harsh environments where dust, moisture, and extreme temperatures are the norm.

If managing global deployments is a concern, the Intermec CV30 can also be used remotely to manage peripherals such as Bluetooth scanners and RFID. In addition, the Intermec CV30 offers:

• Best-in-class flexibility offers the most versatile set of features and options for fixed mount vehicle and stationary applications
• Smallest full-screen footprint
• Improves forklift safety by increasing driver visibility
• Ideal solution for cross-application deployment
• Versatile ADC Control Center that enables real-time decision-making through integration and management of multiple types of data inputs

For more information on the Intermec CV30, learn more here.

The Intermec SR61ex is one of the only handheld barcode scanners with integrated near/far area imaging technology, allowing users to omnidirectionally read multiple symbologies at distances of 6 inches to over 50 ft. It’s rugged design can easily be integrated with a Bluetooth device or cabled interface. In addition, the Intermec SR61 features:

• 1D and 2D barcode scanning
• Image Capture
• Near Far Scanning Capability
• Omni-directional Scanning
• Centered Decoding
• Laser Auto-determining illumination
• Reads Damaged Codes with Ease
• Personal Area Network (PAN)
• 10+ Hour Lithium ion battery

All of these features make for easier, more accurate scanning, keeping data correct and workers happy. The SR1ex is designed for inventory management, picking, shipping/ receiving, cross docking, work-in-process, tool crib, and pallet tracking scanning applications, allowing it to easily withstand drops, temperature extremes, and other elements.

Learn more about the Intermec SR61ex here.

Vail Resorts, a premier ski resort in Colorado, has recently implemented Intermec CN3 mobile computers equipped with IP30 RFID readers. The easy-scan process offered by the Intermec CN3 allows getting through lift lines much faster and more convenient.

Now, skiers and snowboarders holding 2008-2009 passes can breeze through lines without ever having to take their passes out of their jacket, since RFID readers will be able to automatically scan them.

The Intermec CN3 mobile computers with IP30 handheld RFID readers are one of the smallest, most advanced, rugged computers in the world, offering a powerful, modular passive UHF RFID handle. The flexibility that the IP30 offers combined with the RFID-readiness of Intermec mobile computers bring the power of RFID readily available at the fingertips.

The Intermec CN3 also features GPS and Bluetooth technologies in order to increase efficiency and safety. Offering hands-free, turn-by-turn voice navigation with 3G WAN, Cisco Compatible WiFi, and Bluetooth radios, users are connected with voice and high-speed data anywhere they go.

Since lift lines at Vail Resorts are moving much more quickly with the Intermec CN3 mobile computer, its only a matter of time before ski resorts around the country adopt similar technology in order to bring customer satisfaction to a whole other level.