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Barcodes on smartphones
speed collections
CollectPlus is using mobile barcode technology
from NetDespatch to make it easier for customers
to collect parcels from its network of more than
5,000 convenience store collection points.When a
purchase arrives at an online shopper’s chosen pick-
up location, they are automatically sent a unique
barcode embedded in an email or text message.
On collection, the shopkeeper scans the customer’s
barcode to identify the parcel and authorise
collection, reducing transaction time at the till.
CollectPlus’s delivery and returns service is used by
160 retail brands including Amazon, House of Fraser,
ASOS and Very.co.uk. CollectPlus is a joint venture
between retail payment network PayPoint and parcel
delivery company Yodel.
Sound and
vision
A new app designed to help
people with dyslexia and
impaired vision to read printed
text is being marketed as
an affordable alternative to screen, telescope or
handheld magnifiers. The ‘Better Vision’ app for
camera-enabled iPhones, iPad Minis and Android
devices magnifies text up to 10x; reads English,
German, Spanish or Dutch text out loud; has a
lamp function that lights up text (where a device
has an existing light function); and a choice of six
different colour filters
that enhance contrast
to improve the legibility
of newspapers, menus,
street names and bus
numbers.
www.
thevisionforcegroup.com
Secure access via mobile phone
T-Mobile is using a mobile phone-based authentication solution to provide 15,000
remote workers with secure access to the company network and resources.
Based on SecurEnvoy’s tokenless two-factor authentication technology, the system enables
users to identify themselves using a personal password and a dynamically generated passcode
that the SecurAccess solution sends via e-mail, SMS or an app to the user’s mobile telephone.
As soon as the passcode generated by the system has been used, SecurAccess sends a new
code to the user’s mobile telephone, thereby ensuring that T-Mobile employees always possess
a currently valid access code for the corporate network. As each employee is the only person
who knows their respective two factors, no unauthorised third parties can access the network
and remove data.
The use of a mobile to generate passcodes removes the need for workers to carry any
item other than the phone they would normally have with them, such as a physical token or
smartcard.
www.securenvoy.com
innovations
Smart technology for business people in the office,
at home or on the move
Combining the benefits of digital
technology with the simplicity of
analogue recorders, the Olympus
DP-311 has been specially designed
for first-time users of digital
dictation.
Recording notes, sounds and
conversations is a simple three step
process: switch on the machine;
turn the recording mode dial to
Conversation, Dictation or Loud
Sound; and hit the record button.
All commands – play, stop,
record, forward or backward – are
activated by touching large,
clearly marked buttons on the
front of the recorder.
Olympus hopes that by
dispensing with small buttons and
complicated menus it will attract new
users to digital dictation, including
those who have yet to upgrade from
tape-based recorders.
Files are saved in MP3 format in
the 2GB of internal memory (enough
for seven days’ recording) or on
removable SD/SDHC cards. An LCD
display makes it easy to find files and
play them back through the built-in
speaker.
Other useful features include
Calendar Search, which lets you find
recordings by the date on which
they were made; a Voice Memo
function that lets you specify a
playback date; a built-in stand;
playback speed control; and an
external microphone jack.
The compact DP-311 costs £69.99.
www.olympus.co.uk
Olympus keeps things simple
19
The smart option
Another option for existing tape
users is to use a dictation app
with an Android, iOS or Blackberry
device. Both Philips and Grundig
Business Systems have apps
that allow smartphone users to
record and edit dictation and
then send it to transcriptionists
by email or FTP, with the option
of encryption for added security
and full integration with enterprise
workflow software.
www.philips.co.uk
www.grundig-gbs.com