Android Bluetooth Reader, Keyboard Wedge

In the past few months TEC-IT developed an Android App for data acquisition with Bluetooth and TCP. The good feedback of the Android community motivated us to further enhance this app. The result: an universal data acquisition app including keyboard wedge functionality.

The app is named GetBlue. The final version is available as slightly restricted freeware as well as commercial application. Here are the highlights:

• Android Keyboard Wedge / Virtual Keyboard:
  Captured device data can be entered into any application.
• Supported Input Devices: 
• Bluetooth SPP/RFCOMM, TCP (e.g. RFID controllers), HTTP applications and camera scanners apps like the ZXing Barcode Scanner.
• Supported Data-Sinks:
  Bluetooth SPP/RFCOMM, plain TCP, HTPP via Get and Post, Google Docs Spreadsheets, File.
• Data Acquisition Proxy / Data Switchboard:
  Acquired data can be forwarded to any supported data-sink.

Universal Data Acquisition App

Use GetBlue like an universal data switchboard: capture data from a data-source and forward it to an arbitrary data-sink. As an example you can adjust GetBlue to collect data from a Bluetooth barcode scanner and forward this data immediately to a Google Docs spreadsheet (refer to the drawing).

What is a Virtual Keyboard?

A virtual keyboard replaces the standard soft-keyboard of Android. Captured data is always made available to this virtual keyboard. Thus, data acquired from a Bluetooth barcode scanner or an RFID tag can be entered into any application which is accepting user input. This works completely independent from the selected datasource and the target app.

Call for Requests!

The internals of GetBlue are very simply to extend (e.g. new protocols, new devices, ...). Just let us know your requirements. Whenever possible we will provide you with a solution. Leave us a comment or send an email to office@tec-it.com.

Free Trial!

Install GetBlue using Android Market on your handset. Search for GetBlue manually or use this link: market://search?q=pname:com.tecit.datareader.android.getblue.demo.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!

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TSCAutoID Twitter Account

We are now set up on twitter at http://twitter.com/tscautoid

All the links are now listed at the upper right hand corner of this blog.

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Labels for Generic PLP Partners in the U.S.

My name is Tracy Bazzano and I am your Account Representative at Willington Nameplate. We are a custom manufacturer of nameplates, labels, large format printing and specialty etching and engraving. We also have the capibility to produce graphic overlays, tags, panels and can even print on your manufactured products that are odd shaped.

Please give me a call so that we can discuss your needs in detail. I look forward to working with you. You can also visit our website at www.wnpinc.com.

We Identify With You
PRODUCT ID :: NAMEPLATES :: LABELS :: DECALS :: GRAPHIC OVERLAYS :: BANNERS

Tracy Bazzano
Account Executive
The Willington Companies
11 Middle River Drive
Stafford Springs, CT 06076
P.877.967.4743 x3013
F.877.892.2966
http://www.wnpinc.com/

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Barcode Add-In for Microsoft Office - Major Update!

As of today (06/15/2010) TEC-IT released the extended version of the barcode add-in TBarCode Office.

The current version of TBarCode Office offers seamless barcode integration in Word and Excel. In both Office products the barcode add-in is operated via an easy-to-use and self-explanatory barcode panel. Even untrained users are able to insert and parameterize the barcodes using this panel.

These are the highlights:

• Seamless Excel and Word integration
• Unmatched barcode support (more than 100 linear and 2D codes)
• Single or multiple barcodes in Word documents oder Excel spreadsheets
• Serial letter / mail merge support for Microsoft Word
• Dynamic barcodes in Excel via linked cells.
• Creating barcode lists in Excel with a single click
• For Office 2007 and Office 2010, both 32- and 64 bit Microsoft Windows / Microsoft Office are supported

Just check it out! Free demo download - TBarCode Office - Barcode Add-In for Microsoft Office

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BlueStar Vartech Cancun

We will be at BlueStar's Vartech trade show in Cancun, Mexico from June 28 to 30, 2010. Come visit us.

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HCS-200 Scanner

We are really pushing for sales of the HCS-200 scanner in the America's this month. The HCS-200 scanner is the first designed and built by TSC. It is a long range CCD scanner and supports USB, Serial, Keyboard Wedge and a special serial cable that supports directly plugging into a TSC KP-200 keyboard, or directly into a TSC printers serial port. Normally these cables have to be special ordered when using other scanners.

Contact us today to find out more.

Or download a spec sheet from www.tscprinters.com here

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Programming Printers is Profitable for Healthcare Applications

Five years ago Mid-America Business Systems (xpress-systems.com/) partners Jim Scheid and Mark Snow faced a dilemma. They recognized the growing need for using barcodes to track patients throughout their hospital stays.

Unfortunately, Hospitals are notorious for not having recognizable decision makers for any particular new piece of software, equipment or methodology. Working your way through the healthcare bureaucracy is very difficult. To be allowed to introduce new software onto a hospital's network is even more troublesome.

To get around these roadblocks, and allow hospitals to quickly implement barcode labeling solution, MABS created a stand-alone bar-coding solution known as Patient ID XPress. Patient ID XPress is built using TSC manufactured printers and powerful TSC firmware that allows the system to get information from the hospital system and then generate needed wristbands or barcode labels required for a variety of healthcare applications. All without changing one bit of computer code located on the hospital's network.

The solution MABS created is attractive to hospitals for a number of reasons. MABS uses TSC printers to capture and extract data that was otherwise destined for another printer already set up in the hospital. Whether the hospital was currently using plastic embossed cards, or barcode labels from laser printers, MABS has a method to capture the data and manipulate the data into low cost, highly reliable barcode data printed on wristbands or labels.



Other stand-alone printers are placed throughout the hospital allowing doctors and nurses to easily duplicate more labels as needed. As a stand-alone solution, Patient ID XPress is not connected to the hospital’s network.

Because the firmware and software to create the labels is on the device itself, should the hospital information system go down, staff can still generate labels without altering their workflow. Jim Scheid says hospitals are very receptive to the solution due to the stand-alone nature of it. “With the complexity of healthcare systems today, hospitals don’t want to waste time thinking about something as mundane as labels,” he says. “Because our solution requires no hospital IT intervention to implement, it’s easy for them to say yes.” To further improve the odds of making the purchase, MABS mandates customers pilot the solution for a week or more. While it takes the integrator a couple days to set up the free pilot system, having a live trial often sells the hospital staff on the benefits of the new solution.

Once a hospital is generating bar codes for patients, a host of other potential solutions and opportunities is created. Most solutions are built around the concept of positive patient identification. Put simply, hospitals today are compelled to do everything within their power to ensure patients are getting the correct care.

Thanks to powerful partners like Mid-America, TSC printers are in the forefront of keeping our hospitals running safely and efficiently.

For more information about Mid-America and TSC follow this link to a recent Business Solutions article: The Healthcare Barcoding Opportunity

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TSC Printers Just Work

Thanks to Century Systems and YouTube

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First Post!

TSC Auto ID

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Automated Data Acquisition for Android - Update

TEC-IT (http://www.tec-it.com) published version 0.7 of the Android data acquisition app GetBlue!


GetBlue captures device data and saves this data directly to a local file, to a Google Spreadsheet or forwards it to adjustable HTTP/TCP data logging servers. Bi-directional communication is supported, server responses as well as manually entered data can be sent to the connected device.


Currently the following devices are supported:

• Any Bluetooth device supporting the Serial Port Profile (SPP, RFCOMM),
• Any TCP/IP device (IP-Address/Port combination), 
• And new in this version: any installed camera barcode scanner (e.g. the ZXing camera barcode scanner, cyrket market  information) 

Currently GetBlue is available as freeware - the manual data acquisition functions are available unlimited. Automated data acquisition functionality (like uploading captured data to a TCP data logger) are slightly restricted. All data collection parameters are adjustable by the user via the Settings dialog. The data-source,  the target server, various data capturing parameters like time-outs, retries, data packet size, etc. are adjustable.

Android owners are using GetBlue for a variety of functions:

• Testing app for serial Bluetooth devices
• Automated data collection
• Simple TCP debugger
• Bluetooth tester for Android 1.5/1.6 or higher

TEC-IT continues to enhance and extend the app. Every feedback from users is highly welcome. Check out the current version for yourself: Android Market Link (install it directly from the Android Market using your handset).

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The iPad meets the CueCat

It had to happen sooner or later. Yes, someone somewhere plugged a CueCat into an iPad.And it worked!

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Barcode Printing for Microsoft Word and Excel? Solved!

A few weeks ago TEC-IT (http://www.tec-it.com) released the first version of the barcode add-in TBarCode Office. This initial release enabled Microsoft Word users to create and print more than 100 different bar code symbologies in documents and serial letters.

Update:

The update of TBarCode Office now supports Microsoft Excel in addition. Using barcodes with spreadsheets is just a matter of seconds, users benefit from the tightly integrated, convenient barcode task-pane.

Highlights:

• Seamless Excel and Word integration
• Unmatched barcode support
• Serial letters and mailings
• Single and multiple barcodes
• For Office 2007 and 2010
• Supports both 32- and 64 bit Microsoft Windows / Microsoft Office

TBarCode Office is the most advanced barcode add-in available on the market: it is very simple to use and provides all bar-code tuning options for professional applications!

Pre-Release Download: Final version as of 06/15/2010: Barcode Office Add-In TBarCode Office

Feedback is highly welcome!

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