THE SKINNY ON SCANNING ON THE GO: Can anyone even remember how encumbered we travelers were before our little smart phones eliminated having to lug along camera and video gear, massive amounts of X-ray-vulnerable film, international phone-calling cards and a plethora of guidebooks, maps and clippings with insider tips on little-known gems? Our brilliant phones have let us shoot it, file it, send it and discuss it with almost anyone anywhere. Now along comes a little digital sidekick to make your cell phone — or tablet or laptop — even more of a treasure trove of storage.
The diminutive Dacuda PocketScan Wireless Bluetooth Scanner is like a little magic wand, at your service with the push of a button and wave of your hand. Download the free iOS or Android app, pair the PocketScan with your device, and then swipe the 2-inch by 4-inch by 1.2-inch- thick scanner over any text or photo, large or small. Watch the image instantly appear on your screen as it is forming — at up to a respectable 400 dpi resolution.
Built-in illumination adjusts for low-light and too bright conditions, without glare, often a challenge for even the smartest phones. You will need to practice your wrist action, rotating the scanner at corners so its laser sensor stays focused and in capturing mode. The technology that “stitches’ together all the pieces of larger documents and photos can be dicey, but it’s mainly a matter of learning the tricks of the tracking.The scanners’ long-life built-in battery recharges via an included USB cable. What a cool way to capture old album-bound family photos while visiting your great aunt in Italy, or safeguarding the kids’ artwork created during the trip. Included software lets you save scans in JPEG, PNG, PDF, XLS and a wide range of other user-friendly formats, and edit text in Word or Excel. The scanner recognizes text or tables in any language (some devices’ software even allows for translation).
Dacuda PocketScan Wireless Bluetooth Photo and Document Scanner is about $150 at .
