Barcoding News

Anyone recognize that model of bar-code scanner?

Source: spudcomics.com

After sixteen years of designing and manufacturing the world’s best selling bi-optic scanner, Datalogic Scanning proudly celebrated the completed production of its one millionth Magellan bi-optic scanner on April 30th, 2010. As the scanner rolled off the production line at Datalogic’s headquarters in Eugene, Oregon, USA, it greeted a crowd of elated employees who understood what this milestone means for not only Datalogic, but for its customers and the AIDC industry as a whole.

In 1994, the world was introduced to the first Magellan bi-optic scanner, named after the explorer whose expedition was the first to circle the globe, Ferdinand Magellan. The Magellan scanner was the industry’s first scanner with 360-degree scanning technology, setting the stage for remarkable POS innovation across the retail supermarket segment.

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Executive Summary

Bar code output from the Oracle E-Business Suite® environment is traditionally accomplished through third-party software. However, Oracle’s Warehouse Management System (WMS) and Mobile Supply Chain Applications (MSCA) offer a new approach that can simplify bar code label printing. Oracle WMS and MSCA produce output in XML data streams, instead of a proprietary Oracle format. Zebra Technologies has embedded an XML parser in its XML-enabled printers, so output from Oracle WMS and MSCA is natively understood by the printer without additional middleware or server hardware. The graphic below illustrates the system architectures and components required for bar code output from Oracle WMS and MSCA using the middleware and Zebra direct connection approaches.

This white paper describes the middleware and direct-connect bar code printing options for Oracle WMS and MSCA, explains the system requirements for each, and provides guidance as to when each approach is best suited to particular environments.

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The following matrix provides a list of the Motorola Mobile Computers that come pre-licensed and/or pre-loaded with the Wavelink Terminal Emulator (TE) client.

For more detailed information on TE, please visit www.motorola.com/teclient.

TE Software Support Agreements are available for purchase for all Motorola mobile computers.

In addition, hardware support agreements for pre-licensed mobile computers include coverage for the pre-licensed TE client. A support agreement is required for technical support and free upgrades. Please contact us for more details.

Notes

1. 1. Download pre-licensed TE client from Wavelink web site.
   2. Licenses are available for purchase.
   3. Overlays are not included with the pre-licensed TE client for the MC3090 Gun. Overlays for this deviWindows CE can be purchased through Motorola.
   4. TE licenses can be purchased through Motorola for most other Motorola Mobile Computers.
   5. Pre-Licensed Mobile Computers are licensed for TE 7.0 and are entitled to an upgrade to the latest version of TE if they are covered by a qualifying hardware or software support agreement. Contact Motorola Support for details.

With Zebra’s new Z-Band® Comfort direct thermal adhesive wristband, healthcare providers can take a softer approach to patient identification.

• Z-Band Comfort is softer and more flexible than our existing Z-Band Direct wristband and most competitors’ products, so it’s more comfortable for patients.
• The material’s superior resistance to hand sanitizers and other common healthcare solvents increases patient safety by ensuring superior image durability: Text is readable and bar codes are scannable for up to 14 days.
• Healthcare-providers will also appreciate that the Z-Band Comfort enables 50 percent more wristbands per HC100â„¢ cartridge or desktop printer media roll than the Z-Band Direct—which means fewer cartridge/roll changes and greater efficiency for staff.

Zebra’s new ZebraDesignerâ„¢ v2 label design software products make creating complex labels click-simple. Updated with a host of new enhancements, these new editions make creating label designs even easier. Zebra has updated the entire product family—ZebraDesigner, ZebraDesigner Pro, ZebraDesigner for XML and ZebraDesigner for mySAPâ„¢ Business Suite—to help end-users get the most from their Zebra printers while using the latest versions of Windows.

The enhancements include:

• New, easy-to-use design tools
• Expanded RFID tag support and updated wizards
• New printer drivers with enhanced printer configuration tools
• New printer diagnostic and configuration tools
• Support for Windows Vista® and Windows® 7
• And much more!

The no-charge, limited-feature “ZebraDesigner” product has also been updated to v2.

CognitiveTPG has released 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 drivers for their POS printers and DLX, EZ-LP, and C Series Label printers.

These new drivers carry the Microsoft’s Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certification to ensure that they are easy to use, stable, properly install/uninstall on a computer, and work well with other Microsoft WHQL applications and devices. With WHQL certification, these digitally signed drivers prevent tampering and reduce messages during user installation.

The Windows 7 Drivers for our Advantage LX printer will be available in the very near future.

Honeywell Xenon Scanner Series Combines Two Leading-Class Technologies in One Device

Honeywell today announced the introduction of the Xenon™ series, the company’s sixth generation of hand-held area imaging scanners. Xenon is the first Honeywell scanner to combine two proven technologies, Adaptus® Imaging Technology and Omniplanar’s SwiftDecoder® decoding software, to create an industry-leading platform that extends depth of field, shortens read time and improves scanning performance, including faster throughput and processing, on almost all types of bar codes. Designed to meet the needs of workers in healthcare, retail, manufacturing, postal/courier and government, Xenon is available in two easy-to-use models: the corded Honeywell Xenon 1900 and Bluetooth-enabled Honeywell Xenon 1902.

Xenon utilizes Adaptus Imaging Technology 6.0 to read high density linear bar codes, 2D bar codes and those found on alternative surfaces, such as the screen of a mobile device. Adaptus also provides enhanced image capture capabilities, including auto-cropping, resolution enhancement and sharpening filters that increase flexibility and ease integration into existing applications. Combined with SwiftDecoder software, which improves the scanner’s ability to decode damaged and hard-to-read bar codes, Xenon delivers unmatched scanning performance.

• Honeywell Xenon 1900 specifications
• Honeywell Xenon 1902 specifications

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Unitech, a worldwide leader in the automatic identification and data collection (AIDC) industry, today announced that five of its rugged mobile computers have been certified as compliant with Cisco Compatible Extensions, or CCX. All five devices use CCX-certified Wi-Fi solutions from Summit Data Communications.

“Having market-leading Wi-Fi capabilities is important in the competitive AIDC market,” said Howard Weng, product manager of the Unitech mobile computer line. “Our strategic alliance with Summit enables our devices to leverage the latest Summit solutions and their technological innovations, including CCX support.”

All Summit Wi-Fi solutions are certified for Version 4 of CCX, the highest level of Cisco compatibility for business-critical mobile devices. CCX V4 certification signifies not just interoperability with enterprise Wi-Fi infrastructure products from Cisco but also support for Cisco Wi-Fi innovations in areas such as security, mobility, quality of service, and network management.

“In the Wi-Fi world, today’s Cisco innovations often are tomorrow’s standards,” said Chris Bolinger, Summit’s VP of Business Development. “A Wi-Fi standard is valuable only if a broad set of devices support that standard. As more and more client devices achieve CCX certification, the Cisco innovations in CCX can be transitioned to standards, and that improves Wi-Fi for everybody.”

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Handheld RFID readers are 90 percent faster than using barcode scanning guns for taking inventory.

Drivers whose windshields get too dusty don’t hesitate to clean the glass and improve their view. So why are retailers content to operate their businesses for months at a time with hazy information about their true in-stock positions?

Many executives assume that this is the best that can be done. After all, full inventory audits are costly and cumbersome. And retail shrink, cashier error and hard-to-detect shipment discrepancies are chronic problems that show little sign of abating. What these executives don’t realize is that a solution exists today that can give them clear visibility 365 days a year.

The solution that is creating this step change in visibility is called RFID, short for Radio Frequency Identification. Employees who use handheld RFID readers are able to take inventory over 90 percent faster than counterparts using traditional barcode scanning guns, and with greater accuracy, too.