May/June 2004

A cordless laser handheld scanner using Bluetooth wireless communications to connect to portable computers has been launched by Socket Communications, a company which specialises in these highly-portable devices. It includes "fuzzy logic" for making sense of damaged or poor-quality barcodes.

The Cordless Hand Scanner supports the company's proprietary SocketScan keyboard emulation software and software developer's kit, and is therefore said to be easy to integrate quickly with existing applications. The company says it has a good cordless range, even when connected to what it describes as weaker Class 2 wireless systems used in most mobile computers.

Initially the device is limited to Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PC devices, but connectivity options are to be extended greatly in August, when support will be added for Bluetooth-enabled Windows notebooks, tablet PCs, desktop computers, Palm PDAs and Symbian OS devices.