This is a scanner produced by someone by the name of Pandigital. It’s called the PhotoLink Handheld Scanner. It’s portable!

Right, so it’s a portable scanner with a max resolution of 1800×1200 at 300dpi. That’s roughly 60 percent of the resolution Getty—they’re like the Associated Press of photography—uses. You can scan photos up to 4×6-inches in size.

It’s got the usual bells and whistles, if you can call them that: she works with all the popular memory cards out there (SD, XD, CF, etc.) and has a mini USB 2.0 port should you want to transfer you photos that way.

It’s $99 for this, which, I think, isn’t unreasonable.

I’m not one to get overly excited about the technology behind transportation logistics (or am I?) but this thing from HP looks pretty cool. It’s basically a handheld wireless-enabled barcode scanner that can also print quick-drying ink directly onto boxes.

So if you work at, say, UPS, you scan a box coming in, that info is transmitted wirelessly to your warehouse servers, and then you print another barcode or “FRAGILE” or some other message onto the package itself, all in the blink of an eye.

Check out this video to see it in action.

[via Treehugger]

If you have old folks sitting quietly at home, get them this and give them something to do. Slide scanning – along with vinyl record conversion – is one of those things that our elders would love to get around to but don’t quite have the time or resources to do it correctly. This $100 Ion model, however, will let my mom and pop import those pictures they snapped at the Knudsen’s swingers party where, I suspect, I was conceived.

The kit includes two slide holders and it basically just scans in slides. It’s so cheap it’s almost disposable and it’s available now. This is a kickass birthday or holiday gift.

I hate scanners. Hate ‘em. They’re slow, noisy, and they take up too much space. Here’s a departure from the traditional scanner that aims to truly offer no-bullshit document archival. It’s simply a tower for your iPhone (could probably use any phone, though) that uses the camera to take snapshots of the documents underneath. Best of all, you’ll likely have all your important documents with you at all times. Worst of all, if you lose habitually lose phones, this probably isn’t a good idea.

Also, it could be argued that the iPhone document scanner takes up almost as much space as a regular scanner but, hey, it costs next-to-nothing and doesn’t require power or a computer and all your documents are kept right in your pocket.

corrugate iPhone document scanner – free template! [Core77 via BBG]

Canon announced today three new additions to their scanner line. The film and document scanner CanoScan 5600F and two document dedicated models, the LiDE200 and LiDE100. A few new upgrades have been added across the board. Besides powering up faster and scanning quicker, users now have the option of using the new Auto Scan Mode. A dedicated “SCAN” button is incorporated which lets the scanner automatically detect which type of document is being scanned.

Round up of features after the jump.
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Anybody who’s had to scan a big fat pile of old photos into their computer knows that it suh-huuucks. So along comes the ingeniously named “Photograph to Digital Picture Converter” from Hammacher Schlemmer for $150.

It’s got a 5MP CMOS sensor with an 1,800 dpi resolution that basically takes a digital photo of whatever regular photo you slide down into the tray. The device plugs into your computer’s USB port (Windows only, sorry), allowing you to manipulate your now-digital photos any way you see fit.

Sure, a scanner might accomplish the same task but this doodad looks nice for whizzing through a bunch of photos in rapid succession. If Hammacher Schlemmer comes out with a 250-photo add-on tray for automating the entire process, I’m sold.

Product Page [Hammacher Schlemmer]

Stand-alone photo scanners like Epson’s just released Perfection V200 are great for folks who used film cameras during the stone age to take pictures. Whereas those of us who reached full statue during the digital camera boom have less use for them, others could do far worse than this Epson offering. Its 4800 dpi resolution should hold up just fine even when scanning images at the maximum 14×21-inch size, to say nothing of its ability to scan 3D objects. Yup, its lid lifts up a might 180 degrees in order to scan real life 3D objects. The prank possibilities are unlimited. Perhaps, then, kids should look at the V200 a little more closely.

That the scanner is only $99 not only means that a lowly blogger like me can afford it, but that you can buy two or even three and hand them out like smarties on Halloween.

Epson

The DocuPen RC800 is a full color 24-bit scanner that looks like pen — hence the name. It is capable of producing full page scans from its compact case. It includes a conspicuous looking carrying case intended to protect it during travels.

The design allows you to select from black and white, standard color or high 24-bit color. It also has resolution options ranging from 100 to 400 dpi. The included Paperport software is reasonably intuitive and allows you to grab scans from the DocuPen without much hassle. Its onboard memory can store up to 100 lesser quality images, but it has a MicroSD expansion slot for larger storage capacities. When you’re ready to upload your scans, the device connects via an included USB cable. It is powered by a rechargeable lithium-Ion battery that is charged via USB.
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