Make your own touch-screen barcode scanner

For all you obsessive-compulsive types out there who need to keep track of every single box of paper clips and old Popular Mechanics magazines crammed into your overstuffed desk drawers, Max's App Note Blog has posted an easy way to categorize your useless swag with a do-it-yourself touch-screen barcode scanner. Little more than a standard commercial touch-screen attached to a Metrologic Voyager scanner with a RS232 null-modem cable (instructions for building your own are included), this project has all sorts of practical applications, from making sure the nano you just bought isn't some cheap knockoff to giving your kids a head start on the technology they'll need to master in order to become successful grocery store cashiers. And if for some reason you fall upon hard times and are forced to sell off most of your possessions, the touch-screen barcode scanner will make your fire sale look that much more professional to the folks snatching up your treasured gear at insultingly low prices.

[Via Make]