Point and Scan: Socket Debuts Cordless Ring Bar Code Scanner

Lightweight Bluetooth device fits on index finger, uses Liquidmetal case design for durability

Lightweight Bluetooth device fits on index finger, uses Liquidmetal case design for durability

Newark, CA — January 20, 2006 — Mobile solutions provider Socket Communications has unveiled a new cordless ring scanner that combines laser bar code scanning with Bluetooth wireless technology to provide a hands-free solution intended to make scanning as simple as pointing a finger.

The Cordless Ring Scanner (CRS) 9P is designed to fit on the index finger and utilizes a "Liquidmetal" casing, providing over twice the strength of titanium and enabling a lighter, more compact design, according to Socket.

The CRS 9P is tethered to a Class 1 Bluetooth device that is strapped on the wrist. The Bluetooth wrist device transmits scanned data wirelessly to a mobile computer. The wireless wrist module has a Bluetooth radio that maintains a connection to the mobile computer without dangling cables or protruding antennas to slow the user down, restrict their movement or cause potential hazards, Socket said.

"The Cordless Ring Scanner is extremely beneficial for employees that scan everyday, all day," said Peter Phillips, vice president of marketing at Socket. "As a hands-free scanning solution, the Cordless Ring Scanner enables users to handle materials, goods and packages quickly and efficiently without picking up and putting down a big, clumsy gun scanner to scan bar codes."

Fuzzy Logic, Better Data

The CRS 9P is IP54 compliant for water and dust resistance and can sustain multiple drops from four feet, according to Socket. The unit also features fuzzy logic technology for scanning damaged, poor quality or hard-to-read bar codes. Socket said its error proof protocol ensures that scanned data are correctly received by the mobile computing device and allows for real-time validation of data and error notification to the user.

"The ability to capture data without having to handle a scanner gives an enormous boost to our customer's workforce efficiency and productivity," said Scott Allen, sales manager at Infologix, a provider of mobile wireless computing hardware and consulting solutions to the healthcare, industrial, pharmaceutical and enterprise mobility solution markets. "Using a hands-free scanner such as Socket's Cordless Ring Scanner will enable our customers to communicate data that is more accurate than the traditional methods of hand written or voice confirmations."

"The Cordless Ring Scanner 9P from Socket is an effective solution for a variety of applications requiring a lightweight, wearable 'hands-free' method of data capture," said John Walls, managing director of The Barcode Warehouse, a U.K.-based supplier and systems integrator of barcode products. "There is no doubt that the CRS will prove advantageous in helping us secure new business for many environments, including back office, order/parts picking, warehousing and logistics."

The CRS 9P includes SocketScan, the keyboard emulation software that directs scanned data into any Windows, Palm or Symbian application as virtual keystrokes. A software developers kit is available separately for developers who wish to embed control of the CRS into their applications.

The CRS will be available for a suggest retail price of $1199 starting in February.


Additional Articles of Interest

— Read about the five phases of global sourcing that, if followed, allow an organization to implement a successful global sourcing strategy in the short-, medium- and long-term. See more in "Making Global Sourcing Work," only on SDCExec.com.

— Analyzing past transactional spend data will get you only so far in understanding and managing your company's future requirements for direct materials. A new approach to analyzing spend offers opportunities for targeting the most strategic spend categories. Read more in "Transactional Data Don't Equal Spend Visibility" in the December 2005/January 2006 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

— Learn how a business process network ties in to the success of government mandate compliance and the 10 steps your company should take to accelerate business results in the SDCExec.com exclusive article, "The Role of Trading Partner Integration in Achieving Compliance with Government Mandates."


Latest