Review: Media software overview for IntelliScanner SOHO

[Update 1 Nov 2009: all the review findings are also applicable to the IntelliScanner mini, which we hope to review within the next few weeks; also, since IntelliScanner updated its software to be compatible with OS X 10.6, Snow Leopard, we have also eliminated any review concerns that may have been caused by software incompatibilities with Snow Leopard. Everything in this version of the review, then, is applicable to OS X 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6]

This review is a long time coming. I'd first reviewed the basics of the IntelliScanner SOHO back in February, and had hoped to get to the software reviews in March, but that got sidetracked by a few months of travel and a few more months of being sick. Slowly getting back to normal, and this week's blog time will be spent reviewing the software solutions for the IntelliScanner SOHO scanner.

As the unit I received didn't come with the codes for the Business Integration Kit or Inventory software tools that make up the office side of the SOHO scanner, this review will focus on two of the Express software packages.

Those who read the overview blog post from early February will remember that the Express software packages consist of tools to organize everyday household items like books, DVDs, wine, groceries or electronics.  We'll focus on two of these - the Kitchen (groceries) and Media (books, DVDs) since they each present different opportunities and challenges when working with a portable scanner.

Overall impressions. Since the software packages are all bundled together, my initial thought was that there would be a level of integration between them, so that one could go merrily on his way scanning anything in site and letting IntelliScanner worry about sorting out where they were to go.

Not so fast. The instructions give the first inkling that this isn't really feasible, when they suggest that one piece of software be open at a time, and that the software of choice for a particular tool be opened to the "Add Items" dialogue.

Hmm. So now, if I want to go scan my books and DVDs, I can't also scan groceries. It's not that groceries have an ISBN number, nor is it that the books would have a UPC bar code, so it seems odd to require all content scanned on a fairly powerful scanner (the SOHO holds up to 2500 bar code scans) fall only in to one software package's point of reference.

I'd much prefer that the IntelliScanner Dashboard do more than just be the launching point for all the other software packages. Ideally, it could verify which software packages have been activated (verified by their activation codes) and then sort through all the scanned bar codes. It could then provide a suggested list of scans (and their retrieved information) grouped according to program or content type.

Secondly, even within a single set of barcodes, there appears to be no post-scan correlation between the retrieved information and the barcode, nor is there even a listing of the barcode numbers - critical when the software spits out archane database entries such as "unknown KINGSTON MARKETING CO item" for an item it thinks it understands.  If one is going to go to the trouble of scanning anywhere near the potential level of the SOHO scanner (2500 scans) or even the mini scanner (150 scans) there needs to be a way to easily retain those unassigned scans and be able to assign them via the barcode number. If only 2-3 scans are listed as unknown, it will take someone with Solomon's memory skills and Job's patience to figure out what was not added correctly to the scanned list.

Third, scans get lost very, very easily. Remember the first point, where the instructions recommend having a piece of software open to the "Add Items" dialogue box before plugging in the scanner? The reason for this is to keep from losing the scans, which are output from the scanner as a series of keyboard strokes. If the scanner is plugged into the serial-to-USB cable without the right piece of software being open, in the foreground or even on the "Add Items" dialogue box, there is a high probability that all the scans will be lost.

Even when the software is open to the appropriate spot, each program behaves differently for unknown scans. The Media software package places an unknown scan in a dialogue box that is somewhat difficult to understand; clicking to bypass the box dumps the scanned bar code information permanently. As you can see by the accompanying picture, the default is to close and bypass the unknown scans.

The Kitchen software package lists them out as unknown in the assets list IF they can be identified at least to the company level, but dumps the rest.

Finally, if multiple scans are created of the same barcode number, the two programs also handle this differently, with Kitchen defaulting to adding all quantities while Media puts up a nicely-done early warning about the number of scans.

In other words, while the hardware is incredibly handy and easy to use to scan bar codes, the software implementations can easily make the casual user confused, frustrated and bewildered as to what all their hard scanning work has wrought.

Media. The software kit for Media launches a very Mac- or Bento-like software package that contains collections for various types of media: books, movies, music, games.

To add items, after scanning, open the wand icon  (labeled "Add Items") in the top left corner. Then plug in the SOHO scanner; for help on this, please read the overall impressions above, which spell out a few things to remember, as well as the initial hardware review which describes the settings for the serial-to-USB cable.

Added items will first appear as a series of numerals, and then the software will attempt to retrieve the information on books, DVDs, VHS tapes, CDs or games from a number of online databases.

Once the data is retrieved for all items - or as many items as the particular software program will allow, since it rejects barcodes that would make sense in other software packages - the Media software package populates that particular information in to the appropriate media catalog.

What if the computer you are using is not online? Good question. Our testing showed that the information will not be retrieved and will reflect as not being in the database, which is inaccurate. In other words, Media treats offline attempts to add scanned content no differently than items that aren't actually in the database. Even the same error message is displayed.

Lending is available, in a rudimentary form, in Media. The act of "checking out" a book, DVD or other media is a manual process, which is fully understood given two facts: the need to put in the name of the person who is borrowing the media (with clever integration of the Address Book application) as well as the inability for the software to differentiate between a scan representing a rise in quantity versus a lowering in quantity.

Still, given the fact that the software can prompt for redundant scans and offer at least two options (ignore or increase quantity), it would be nice to see the software offer a third option for items that are already in the library, such as a check-out option.

Even simpler to perform would be the ability to rapidly check-in books or other media, as the manual check-out process changes the status in the database (and the corresponding icon color) to a color and detailed information about when the book has been checked out.

In our testing, we could not find any way to force the status color to change to a different color (red, for instance, since green is used for available and yellow is used for lent out) when the book became past due.  All this to say Media seems a good way to keep track of what's in your home collections, for insurance reasons, but not necessarily a stellar check-in / check-out private library sort of tool. For that, you'll need to pay the big bucks for IntelliScanner's Daneiza (Latin for to lend) software.

Wow, this post is pretty long, so I'll post my thoughts on Kitchen in a separate blog post.

Review: Otterbox Defender for iPhone 3GS (and 3G)

The iPhone 3GS (and 3G, which has an identical form factor) has many options in terms of protective coverings. Not every neoprene skin or leather slip case provides optimum protection. For that, a full-body protective case is needed.

Otterbox, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, has a long history in building protective cases for equipment, the kind of heavy plastic suitcase you might see a band's road crew carrying expensive gear in.

A few years back, the company began making smaller boxes to hold phones and GPS units, but the downside was that - while protecting these small consumer devices - the device itself was not accessible to use. So the company branched in to the field of heavily protective shells, form-fitted to particular devices.

Besides a variety of Blackberry models, Otterbox also has one for the iPhone with the fitting name of Defender. While the unit adds both size and a slight amount of weight to the iPhone, for those who need heavy protection in the field, it's not really much larger than the first-generation iPhone or the early Palm Pilot digital assistants.

Defender covers every possible connection and opening on the iPhone, including the camera. It does so through a series of two protective layers: the outer is very similar to a neoprene skin found on many iPhones. The benefit of this skin is that adds a no-slip grip to the overall phone, it can be washed, and it has a softer feel than the inner shell.

In our tests, the outer skin did a good job of collecting most of the dirt, as it covers most of the phone, minus the iPhone's large screen. Flaps also cover the headphone and charging/docking jacks as well as the on-off switch.

The outer skin was easily cleaned with soap and water, and dried relatively quickly. Over time, and with frequent washings, though, this may be the one part of the Defender that requires consistent replacement.

The inner shell is a molded, rigid plastic, with clear sheets of thin plastic film integrated to cover user-accessible areas such as the screen and the camera.

We ran our iPhone 3GS units, one black 32GB and one white 16GB one, through a series of video field tests in early August, in preparation for iPhone 3.1

One such test was to use the camera on a construction site, which involved sawdust, concrete mixing and a variety of other small-particle dangers for delicate electronics. Given Apple's recent reports of iPhones and iPod touch players exploding after being dropped, we also wanted maximum protection against accidental drops or knocks by power tools, etc.

The protective case performed admirably in this harsh environment; after returning to the office and extracting the iPhone from the Defender shell, we found no scratches or other signs of damage to the phone, even though the Defender's outer shell was covered in saw and concrete dust.

The one weakness we found in the Defender is the crevice in which the camera sits. The camera lens, on the upper left of the iPhone's curved back, is covered by a thin film, surrounded by a small ring of rigid plastic that the Defender places around the lens.

To shoot properly, we weren't able to just wipe the dust away from the lens, as we would do with a naked iPhone, so we had to resort to using compressed air to blow the dust out. With dirt or fingerprints, however, this could become a show stopper since the Defender doesn't wipe away dirt and grime from the phone body as easily as it is wiped away from a naked iPhone. The thin plastic, too, is more prone to easy scratching than the iPhone's camera glass, which could cause degradation of image and video capture after just a few cleanings.

One accessory is bundled with the Defender: a belt clip with wings that snap in to the edges of the Defender case. For added protection, the iPhone faced inward, toward the body, to further protect the screen from impact while worn in the belt clip. The complete package, then, looks like a black rectangle when worn. Functional? Absolutely. Fashion Statement? Probably not.

This, then, is the quandary of the Defender: the bulkiness is to be expected with a unit that adequately protects the iPhone; while it's not really bulky, as it's smaller than many two-year old PDAs, when wrapped around the iPhone, it feels bulky enough to make one think twice about using the Defender as a permanent protection solution.

Otterbox will, I'm sure, be willing to sell you two solutions: the Defender for those must-protect dirty projects and the Impact series of cases, offering moderate protection with corresponding lesser bulk.

Review: IntelliScanner SOHO

A few weeks ago, I mentioned an interest in reviewing a Macintosh-based portable scanning system.  I've received an IntelliScanner SOHO from the IntelliScanner Corp. Despite the omninous sound of the corporation's name, there's no tie to Blade Runner or even the recent Keanu Reeves flick.

The SOHO comes in a plastic tin that houses the scanner, a thin booklet with a few key barcodes and a software card. The software card has activation codes for a variety of the software products that come as part of the Express package.

Essentially the Express package is all the home tracking software, "designed to organize everyday household items like books, DVDs, wine, groceries or electronics," as a company representative told me when I was trying to decide between the SOHO or smaller mini scanner.

Also included with the SOHO scanner is a small card that contains the numbers 0-9 in barcode form as well as an "undo" barcode.

The SOHO scanner unit itself is about the size of an early 2000's cell phone, as can be seen in the following picture. It operates on 3 AAA batteries.

Before plugging in the unit for initial set-up, IntelliScanner wants to be sure you're comfortable with the scanning mode, so there is a bar code in the small booklet that should be scanned before connecting the SOHO scanner to the computer.

To scan, hold down the button on the top of the SOHO scanner, which causes the red laser line to appear; the line stays visible for about 3 seconds, then shuts off to preserve battery life. If it disappears, press the button on top of the SOHO scanner again, and try placing the scanner about 3-4" from the bar code. The only indication that it is safe to move about the cabin in an audible beep sounds when the barcode has been scanned and stored, accompanied by an LED on the top of the IntelliScanner that glows green.

Once this scan is complete, launch the software wizard to walk through the steps to connect the scanner to the computer.

The scanner itself does not have a USB connector, so content on the scanner is output on an included serial-to-USB cable that uses a 3.5mm (1/8") stereo connector - the same type used for earbud headphones for an iPod -  to connect to the base of the IntelliScanner SOHO.  DO NOT lose this cable as it is somewhat difficult to cost effectively replace. It would be nice to see the SOHO use a MicroUSB connector, given the prevalence of this type of USB cable for still cameras, portable hard drives, and Blackberry and other mobile phones.

Back to the software wizard: the first step is to choose an image that matches the type of scanner you have (the SOHO) and then next step is to plug the USB cable in to the Macintosh computer, checking first to see if the toggle switch on the USB cable's small in-line convertor is set to KBD rather than VCOM. Don't worry if it is set wrong, as the setup wizard will prompt in a BIG font to switch the setting.

Once the setup wizard states that the USB cable is connected correctly to the computer, plug the 3.5mm jack in to the base of the IntelliScanner SOHO. An audible beep will sound, indicating that the SOHO scanner has begun downloading information to the computer (typing, effectively, the numbers from the bar code that had previously been scanned.

Finally, once the software setup confirms the presence of the scanner, a code will need to be entered from the booklet to verify the scanner's ID. Once all this is complete, it's finally time to start scanning.  We'll take a look at a few of the software options from the Express package in our next review.

Scan everything, carry some of it around

As much as I refer to myself as borderline OCD, the concept of scanning and tracking everything I own and work with is - at first glance - highly appealing. As such, a walk-by at a national trade show led to a conversation about reviewing an "intelligent scanner" for Mac-based

"The major differences between the mini and SOHO," said Odessa Hines, communication specialist for the IntelliScanner Corporation, when I asked about the two handheld scanner options, "are the type of scanner, the scanner's application (home or business) and the software included."

While the mini is appealing for the sheer size of it, and we'll perhaps review it later, it's geared more toward home and household items.

"The mini is specifically designed to organize everyday household items like books, DVDs, wine, groceries or electronics," said Hines. "All of the mini's included software (except for the kitchen software) includes the web app for sharing collections online or viewing them on an iPhone as part of the included publish feature."

Opting instead for the SOHO, which covers both home and office inventory, I asked IntelliScanner to provide a SOHO IntelliScanner for review.

The SOHO scanner can hold 2500 scans before having to download the contents versus 150 scans for the mini, and IntelliScanner says that it includes software to "help businesses organize and inventory their assets" with potential integration into Filemaker Pro, Intuit's QuickBooks and Microsoft's Excel.

"As for a web / iPhone app for the SOHO, it's included with the media software, but not the inventory software," said Hines, meaning that the ability to catalog wine bottles and comic books and access them on your iPhone is either a higher priority or an easier milestone than the ability to carry key business inventory around.

"You can however, save your inventory database as an html file and load it to your website or in a browser for viewing," offered Hines.

The lack on an iPhone app for small business inventory seems a bit odd to me, especially given the company's success with its Daneizo (Latin for "to lend") library system software, but we'll take a look at this all once the SOHO scanner arrives.

Assisting Tech Innovators

I first met Charles (Chuck) Shoopman a few years ago when I was helping to launch the Kingsport Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (KOBSE). Chuck had an idea for a Tennessee SBIR Assistance Center. SBIR (Small Business Innovation and Research) grants, as well as STTRs, which tie into university or federal research institutions, are a way for the federal government to foster innovation for a variety of needs. Chuck turned his vision into a reality with a group of East Tennessee partners.

When Charles (Chuck) Shoopman wanted to launch the Tennessee SBIR Proposal Assistance Center, he talked to a variety of partners. I heard his pitch at the 52nd Annual Governor’s Conference for Economic Development in September 2005, after I was introduced by Alex Money, a former colleague at AEDC (Arnold Engineering Development Center at Arnold Air Force Base), and thought it was a wonderful way to put expertise to work helping entrepreneurs wade through the morass of key federal research grants.

Chuck got the SBIR Assistance Center off the ground in January 2006, in collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the NNSA Y-12 Facility, Technology 2020, the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley, the East Tennessee Economic Council, and Integrated Manufacturing Technology Initiative. Chuck is a Team Leader in Economic Development for The University of Tennnessee’s Institute for Public Service (IPS), which works alongside the UT Center for Industrial Services (an agency of IPS) that operats the Tennessee SBIR Proposal Assistance Center. 

Confused yet? Don’t worry, I’m just giving context ;)

Throughout 2006, according to an IPS release,  “these partnering organizations helped Tennessee small businesses secure almost $6 million of SBIR grants to fund research on new products and processes.” In 2007 they did even more, bringing our state’s woeful apply and win status up to an almost respectable level.

But there was more to do, as Tennessee lagged behind in SBIR / STTR submittals and, hence, awards. This is especially lame given Tennessee’s wealth of federal research facilities (DoE, DoD and many others are well represented in the State). From an entrepreneurial standpoint, I’m not a huge fan of STTRs, primarily because most higher education institutions appear to manipulate the percentage of the grant funding needed for things extraneous to the actual tech transfer heavily in their favor (ROI for an STTR is much better if an entrepreneur engages with a federal research facility, but that opinion may be skewed by having worked at one).

Anyway, in 2008, the Tennessee SBIR Proposal Assistance Center and Chuck’s economic development team are partnering with the Technology Development Corporation (TTDC) to help entrepreneurs and businesses across Tennessee interested in learning about SBIR / STTR grants to learn about new “Phase 0” assistance opportunities that TTDC is offering for Phase 1 grant applicants.

A series of meetings have been held in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville and Johnson City; I attended the latter two, as Johnson City is close to my adopted hometown of Kingsport (we leased in Johnson City when we first picked northeast Tennessee as a place to call home) and the Knoxville event provided an opportunity to view the presentation with an audience in the area of the state that’s done the best job of applying for / winning SBIR grants.

All I can say is kudos to Chuck and Eric Cromwell, TTDC’s President and CEO, for putting these events together and to TTDC for funding the Phase 0 grants (if even for only $100,000 for the first round - let’s hope they run through that quickly).

For a few more details on TTDC, see this blog posting. 

A podcast of a key portion of the Knoxville event is available here.

Doing Something About Tennessee's Technology Gap

I admired Eric Cromwell’s style during my regional economic development work. We used public funds, though, and he worked for the State, so it felt too much like pandering to say so. Recently we both changed roles: my termination from the TCEDA WTC completed a promise and let me return to real entrepreneurial work that didn’t require politispeak (just because I can doesn’t mean I like to) and Eric is rejuvenating a mostly dead not-for-profit that may rapidly bring Tennessee’s technology effort into the 21st century. I’m once again a fan.

As the head of the Tennessee Technology Development Center, Eric Cromwell advocates for entrepreneurial and technology-based economic development with a refreshing approach (or at least a familiar one, as it’s the same that I’ve advocated): keep the big box recruiting, but don’t forget the entrepreneur who will keep his/her company here even when it’s one of Tennessee’s larger employers. Think that’s unlikely? Look at FedEx and several other major companies.

We differ slightly on the way to the generate numerous startups and corporate headquarters: besides homegrown entrepreneurs, I also advocate using incubators for international companies that want to enter the US market, since the place they launch their US presence is typically also where they’ll keep their corporate headquarters (yes, for those who remember, this is one of the two main essentials of the rejected marketing plan I’d put together for the Tri-Cities WTC launch). 

We both advocate a model that’s so far beyond traditional “quick win” economic development, which parses economic miracles in two-year windows, so I’m more than willing to help champion Eric’s approach. Plus, he’s concise, direct, honest and technologically savvy, all those qualities that are essential to someone dealing with the entrepreneur who has to make payroll every week.

The TTDC, according to its website, is “responsible for the technology-based economic development agenda for the State of Tennessee, . . . focuses on building innovation capacity and a climate where a knowledge-driven economic base can thrive.”

TTDC’s focus includes:

•Intellectual Infrastructure
•Mechanisms for Transferring Knowledge
•Physical [technology] Infrastructure
•Talent – Highly Skilled Workforce
•Risk/Venture Capital

In 2005 and 2006, when Eric worked for the state as part of the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development, the TTDC jointly conducted a statewide inventory of science and technology assets called the Tennessee Innovation Road Map. The intent was to provide greater clarity to existing statewide resources and the opportunities for economic expansion and diversification around core these strengths.

One of the ways that TTDC is doing something about the lack of Tennessee’s innovation on an entrepreneurial level is a new SBIR Phase 0 grant, to help companies that are applying for SBIR Phase 1 grants be able to afford the initial cost of application. More on that in the next blog post.

In the meantime, listen to the brief podcast (here) that gives TTDC’s vision and mission and next steps. Like all economic developers, Eric wants his work to lead to higher skill / wage jobs, but through wealth creation and entrepreneurial growth, not only via old school tools like abatement.

A Maturing Tech Council's Legacy

Long before I helped launch the MountainSouth World Trade Center, for northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, and even before getting involved with the Kingsport Chamber’s economic development efforts (KOSBE and HBDC), I had the privilege to serve on the board of a regional organization that exemplifies a non-partisan way of engaging the region’s potential.

The Northeast Tennessee Technology Council (NETTC) offers regional leaders a chance to educate and advocate for technology advancements in Bristol, Greeneville, Kingsport and Johnson City.

In December 2003, l was asked to join the board. At 33 years of age, and as the youngest member of the NETTC Board of Directors, I felt a burden to bridge a gap between the two generations of technology leaders in the region: the older, more established leaders that don’t necessarily see technology as their primary focus - more a means to an end of parity and economic development - and the younger group of leaders - often directly involved with technology - that see technology as entrepreneurial, enabling and a modern version of the Great Equalizer.

When I was first elected to the board, there were no tools for the younger generation, such as GeekSouth, KNETIC and HYPE (the latter two being young professional groups that were established in Kingsport and Johnson City, respectively). In addition to work done with the NETTC Tech Council, then, I also provided feedback and encouragement to GeekSouth and KNETIC as they both got off the ground.

The maturing of the Tech Council from an ad-hoc group, the rise of these other groups and the level of emerging technologies gives both generations an opportunity to seize a stake in the broader technology discussion. After being re-elected in late December 2007 to another 3 year board position, I see potential that the older group can educate our public officials, advocating needs such as higher (meaningful) broadband penetration, while the younger can both show their generation how to use the tools that expanded broadband penetration enables and nudge the older generation toward use of tools that can most help drive advocacy (like podcasting, online surveys and social networking).

A symbiotic relationship? Absolutely.