The FingerTec TA300 is mobile desktop fingerprint terminal which functions as part of a time attendance system. With no installation needed and an internal battery that lasts up to five hours, the FingerTec TA300 is perfect for use in training workshops where it can be a problem to ensure that attendees not only show up for the course, but also stay till the end of the session. All attendees register their fingerprints at the start of the workshop. Then, to enter or leave the room, a fingerprint scan is required. No one can “sign in” for a friend. At the end of the workshop a final fingerprint scan is taken from all individuals in the room and then the fingerprint terminal is connected to a computer where it generates a printable report.

While the TA300 was designed with education and training companies in mind, the device could also be used at construction sites or catered events where employees need to be present but are difficult to track.  Of course, the device can be kept permanently connected to a network as an office attendance system.

But what if more needs to be tracked than a fingerprint alone? That’s when it’s time to turn to the Visioneer Strobe 500. This desktop scanner offers a 20-page Automatic Document Feeder and 30 images per minute duplex scanning speed. Plus, at the push of a button, the Strobe 500 ejects from its docking station to become a full function mobile scanner with USB-powered operation. The Strobe 500 scans contracts, forms, receipts, photos, ID cards, handwritten notes or virtually any document of varying size or complexity.

The Strobe 500 scans in black-and-white and color at a resolution of up to 600 dpi. It can scan both sides of a business card in about six seconds and guides on the scanner indicate where documents should be fed for best data intake. The device not only scans, but it also turns documents into useful data. During the scanning process documents can be created as searchable PDFs. And don’t worry about imperfect originals. The Strobe 500 integrates Kofax VRS image enhancement technology into the scanning process. Imperfect originals are automatically turned into perfect scans that are easier to read for the human eye and the computer’s eye.

In an education setting, completed examination papers could be scanned at any site and transmitted back to the main campus for grading, with originals following later. In a natural disaster, documents could be scanned with no need to hold originals, allowing for easier processing of aid requests or insurance claims. Mobile workers could use the Strobe 500 while on the road to scan receipts, orders and contracts, saving hours of paperwork later and enhancing corporate work flow.

Scanning is not only useful for documents, it can be a great way to put a stop to fraud. The UKI Group has created InstpectaScan, an anti-counterfeit scanning device which will change how counterfeit products are detected. InspectaScan is used in conjunction with UKI’s secure product identification taggants and markers. How the system works is that UKI’s chemical markers are added to products during the manufacturing process. These markers have various performance features and are supplied as a range of masterbatch concentrates which are pre-mixed with inks, polymers, paper, textiles, pulp blends and other raw materials. The additives become a part of the product during manufacturing and are hidden. Unlike packaging or holograms, the markers can’t be added after the product has left the manufacturing facility.

InspectaScan is easily used anywhere and instantly determines whether the product contains the correct marker — or if it’s a fake. The system enables fast, effective product authentication in the field with minimal cost and training, plus dramatically curtails the possibility for identification inaccuracies. If a product is real, a government official could verify that in a second. Brand protection staff could easily survey local markets in a very low key manner to identify fake merchandise. The new system is much more difficult for counterfeiters to defeat bringing greater protection to consumers, brands and the interests of legitimate businesses.