As managers race to turn their warehouse workers into cyborgs, HP is there to help with its Handheld sp400 All-in-One scanner / paperless printer of arm-mounted doom. This strap-on contraption is a wireless scanner / printer / barcode manager that turns warehouse drones into human intake and inventory machines. To be fair, the sp400 does have some benefits, like not requiring thermal labels and a reduction in paper waste with its built-in document imprinting function. Most importantly, though, be sure to see the video at the read link -- you'll be wishing you too could work in such an efficient warehouse!

[Thanks, Sonya]

We still have mixed feelings on the soon-to-be-revived Knight Rider franchise -- sure, we're gonna watch it, but we'll probably do it with tears streaming down our face -- but that doesn't mean we're going to turn down an inside look on how KITT's iconic red scanner light works. According to Pierre Hoffman, whose Auto Indulgence shop built the new scanner, the units consists of 240 LEDs per side in three rows of 80. The goal was to make the scanner look like a heartbeat, so early prototypes were actually triggered from a music interface connected to samples of different heart rhythms. Sadly, the final design isn't nearly as slick, using a complex timing-based circuit board instead -- but that doesn't mean we aren't filled with a rush of conflicted emotions every time we see that red glow. Check the whole interview with Pierre at the read link.

It looks like Fujitsu's added yet another sure to be short-lived distinction to its repertoire of bragging rights, with its new ScanSnap S300 scanner laying claim to the title of "world's smallest color ADF scanner." Despite its diminutive size (11.2 x 3.7 x 3.0 inches), the scanner looks like it should stack up reasonably well against its larger counterparts, with it boasting a scanning speed of 8 pages per minute for single-sided pages and 17 images per minute for double-sided documents, along with special scanning options for business cards, a range of automatic page-detection options, and a maximum resolution of 600 dpi. You will have to pay a bit more than a comparable, non-world's smallest model, however, as this one will run you just shy of $300 when it hits the US in late November.

Canon has today announced that its ScanFront 220 and ScanFront 220P network scanners have started to ship out in the US, which means consumers anxious to get a household bizhub (of sorts) can throw patience to the wind. Both of these devices enable users to scan in documents and immediately email them, send them to an FTP server or transfer the files to a USB drive. The unit also features an 8.5-inch touchscreen to keep things in order, and it can reportedly scan up to 26 pages-per-minute or 35 images-per-minute. Furthermore, users can save the documents as compressed / searchable PDFs, TIFFs or JPEGs, and for those opting for the 220P, you can take advantage of "ultra-sonic double feed detection" and fingerprint authentication. Get 'em both now for $1,995 and $2,195, respectively.

Tired of watching all of your PC friends with their fancy, new-fangled fingerprint readers, showing off how protected their computers are and how safe their data is? We feel your pain, Mac dudes and dudettes, and so does UPEK. Enter the company's Eikon "digital privacy manager," or, as we like to call it -- a fingerprint reader. Using the USB-powered device, users can enjoy privileges common to most PC users these days, like; logging onto their computers, accessing password protected websites, opening administrator access on their system, and generally looking like a super-futuristic bad-ass. The Eikon is available now and selling for the astounding price of $39.99

It's been a hot minute since a flatbed scanner was able to impress, but Epson's USB 2.0 Perfection V500 manages to do exactly that. Sporting a 6400dpi optical resolution and 48-bit color depth, the V500 steps it way up by also throwing in the firm's ReadyScan LED technology, "which delivers fast scans and no warm-up time." Furthermore, you can expect nonexistent wait times when flipping between reflective and film scanning, less power usage, and a LED that automatically "adjusts the color of the light source based on the type of original being scanned, using white light for positive film and blue light for negative film." Not too shabby at all for $249.99, and for those needing an Automatic Document Feeder, the optional add-on will soon be available for $199.99.

Here in the US of A, a do-it-all bizhub that cranks out caffeinated beverages would do us a whole lot more good than one that speaks QR Code, but we can certainly see the relevance when marketed in Japan. Ricoh's uber-snazzy MP C4500it can not only fax, scan, copy, e-mail, and print with the big boys, but it can easily boost the productivity of the average office administrator by understanding a command-laden QR Code. Reportedly, users can scan the QR Code before getting down to business, and the machine will automatically interpret and adjust to match your desired settings -- you know, duplex, 400dpi, compressed PDF with a personalized header on top -- rather than forcing you to use the intern's arrangement. Additionally, you can load up data through the built-in USB port / SD card slot and see where the paper jam is on the 10.4-inch color touchscreen, but first you'll have to hand over a whopping ¥2,280,000 ($18,694).

[Via TokyoMango]

Amazingly, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is actually not located in the UK, but we wouldn't doubt if the latest development to emerge from its confines somehow ends up across the pond. Nevertheless, scientists at the lab have developed a Laser-Based Item Monitoring System that "addresses surveillance requirements in places where video would be unacceptable because of the presence of proprietary information or other privacy concerns." Essentially, this optical monitoring system uses low-cost reflective tags placed on objects, and then maps the precise location of high-value items to sense tampering. The laser can purportedly detect minute changes (movements of less than a centimeter) by utilizing "a high-resolution two-axis laser scanner capable of looking at a 60-degree field of view in 0.0005-degree increments," meaning that it can divide its field of view into more than 10 billion individual pointing locations. The crew also noted that this system was generally superior to bar code and RFID alternatives as the LBIMS would not be susceptible to jamming or interception, but there's no word just yet on when the Department of Energy (or anyone else) will be putting this stuff to good use.

[Via Smartmobs, photo courtesy of Primidi]

Although the mere mention of "retinal scanner" may get the blood boiling in privacy advocates, the latest such device out of MIT sports a much more innocent soul. Researchers at the school have reportedly developed a method to "scan the retina at record speeds of up to 236,000 lines per second, or ten-times faster than current technology." This process will allow doctors to snap "high detailed 3D images of the eye," which can be used to non-invasively spot ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration much earlier and more accurately. The process itself is dubbed optical coherence tomography (OCT), and while things seem to moving along as scheduled, it will still be "five years or more" before we see this thing commercialized.

[Via MedLaunches]

As technology continues to make doctors' lives a bit easier (not to mention saving a few in the process), we've got yet another device that can detect a potentially fatal problem long before mere humans can figure it out. The Indian-based Infrascanner is a "handheld, non-invasive, near-infrared (NIR) based mobile imaging device used to detect brain hematoma at the site of injury" within the most important stage of pre-analysis. The device could also aid in the decision to proceed with "other tests such as head Computed Tomography (CT) scans" when not "facilitating surgical intervention decisions." While the methods behind the scanning are quite sophisticated, the unit uses diffused optical tomography to convert the light differential data seen in the local concentrations of hemoglobin into "interpretative scientific results." Potentially best of all, however, is just how close this thing is to actually hitting hospital wards, as it's simply missing the oh-so-coveted FDA stamp of approval before it can see commercial use.

[Via MedGadget]

We've got a sneaking suspicion that the whole idea of "minimally invasive" procedures will soon become a matter of perspective, as Canadian researchers are dreaming up yet another method of perusing parts of your innards you never thought possible. If the brilliant minds at École Polytechnique Montréal have their way, microscopic medical beads could eventually be used to inspect, pass medicines, and take a joyride through even the smallest tubes in your body. Already being tested on live pig (and showing outstanding results, too), the idea is to utilize MRI machines to magnetically push objects through the bloodstream, which could reach locales that modern day surgeries can't. Interestingly enough, this procedure has far exceeded the brainstorming stage, and if you're one of those strong-stomached type, be sure to hit the read link for a couple of live action videos of the process.

The Last Frontier is no stranger to computer failure on a noteworthy scale, but the latest mishap far exceeds the severity of yet another e-voting failure. A quick-fingered technician at the Alaska Department of Revenue reformatted a hard drive while handling "routine maintenance work" that contained an account worth $38 billion -- yeah, with a B. To make matters exponentially worse, he / she also deleted the backup drive for reasons unbeknownst to mere men, and we can probably assume that at least a few individuals in the department suffered a near-heart attack when they found the backup tapes completely unreadable. The only remaining proof of the oil-funded account was in 300 boxes of paperwork, which had to be digitized yet again by staff members working incredibly long hours completing work that had just been done a few months earlier. Incredibly, no one was reportedly punished for the incident, and while the recovery efforts were actually finished in just six painstaking weeks, the damage inflicted by a few careless keystrokes totaled $220,700 in excess labor costs. Ouch.

[Via Fark]

We don't envision very many people enjoying the idea of having TSA employees seeing every curve their body has to offer, but unfortunately for those who fail the primary metal detector test at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, you could be in for such a treat. While airport shoe scanners have already garnered sufficient criticism for holding up the show rather than helping things out, the "backscatter" X-ray machine is officially being trialed in Arizona as a means of snuffing out hidden "explosives and other weapons" that can't be detected by other means. While the technology allows the viewer to see just about every follicle on your body (and any stray .500 Magnums adorning your person), there is still currently a workaround if you're not entirely comfortable with going full-frontal before boarding your flight. A TSA spokesperson proclaimed that the process is completely voluntary, as folks who get dinged by the metal detector can opt for a standard pat-down in order to clear things up. Interestingly, the officials operating the machine have reportedly "adjusted the equipment to make the image look something like a line drawing" rather than detailing all your 2,000 parts, but critics suggest that altering the image also hampers the chance of discovering contraband in the first place. Still, unless this causes some serious uproar in the near future, it looks like it's there to stay, and folks traveling through LAX and New York's Kennedy Airport will likely face a similar beast (if they so choose) before the year's end.

It looks like those crazed individuals who somehow managed to escape from the nation's video game addict rehab center won't be sneaking into major football events to stir up trouble anymore, as Amsterdam Arena has launched a trial program to scan the fingerprints of football fans before letting them enter as they try to better "exclude known troublemakers" from making it to the stands. While European soccer football matches are known to elicit tremendous passion from both parties, oftentimes resulting in violent behavior, the biometric scanners will hopefully curb the conflicts as it better enforces bans to precious offenders. Reportedly, the system will initially be at home games of Ajax, Feyenoord and Vitesse, and if it seems to go over well (read: enraged fans chill out), it could be rolled out in a few more locales later this year.

[Via BBC, thanks Stewart D.]

Although it shouldn't take you by surprise to get held up a bit while going through airport security these days, a good few travelers are a bit perturbed by the Clear's problems with metal-infused footwear. Passenger's that spend more time cruising the friendly skies than motoring around in their own vehicle have the option to submit to a federal background check and cough up $100 in order to pass through newly-installed biometric scanners at certain airports such as Orlando International and New York's Kennedy Airport. However, even the snazzy scanners can't distinguish between benign and harmful metals, so customers who thought they'd save themselves the inconvenience of kicking off their kicks are still being forced to remove their shoes if even the slightest hint of metal is detected. Although the shoe scanners still won't be "broadly used" until they receive further TSA approval, Verified Identity Pass senior vice president Shawn Dagg simply suggested that "he hopes customers will learn to wear shoes without metal." We're sure that's exactly the answer these disgruntled customers were looking for, Mr. Dagg.