This Wand-Like Scanner Doesn't Need a PC
This portable scanner saves documents onto an included SD card.
Optical character recognition (OCR) software developer I.R.I.S launched on Tuesday a new wand-like hand-held scanner called the IRIScan Book 2. This device allows users to scan books, documents, magazines and photos anytime, anywhere without the use of a computer by saving documents directly onto an included SD card.
According to the company, the base model is cordless and powered by two AA batteries, lasting 200 page scans before the batteries need to be switched out. Scans can be in black/white or color with resolutions of 600 and 300 dpi. No driver installation is required -- simply connect the scanner with the included USB cable or insert the MicroSD card into the computer to access the files.
I.R.I.S. is now offering the gadget in two flavors: the $99 consumer version -- IRIScan Book 2 -- offered in blue, and a $129 "Executive" version that features an integrated rechargable battery, Bluetooth connectivity, and a silver finish. Both versions of the scanner come bundled with Readiris Pro 12 (for PC and Mac) to process the scans.
In addition to the scanner, the company also released Readiris 14, the company's latest OCR solution which can automatically upload documents to a cloud-based service like Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive and more.
"Compatible with both Windows and Mac, Readiris 14’s revolutionary high-quality compression technology (iHQC) reduces images and PDFs into fully searchable PDF documents up to 50 times smaller than the original, which is compliant with any PDF viewer," the company said. "This user-friendly software has the best multiple-lingual OCR on the market and can recognize more than 130 languages including Asian languages, Arabic and Hebrew."
Designed for individuals and businesses, Readiris 14 is now available in Pro or Corporate versions for $129 and $599 respectively. Readiris 14 Corporate can recognize up to five different languages in a single document, upload to SharePoint and Therefore, and comes with Cardiris Pro 5, which manages business card contacts.
"Readiris 14 boosts productivity and saves time, setting the standard for portable scanning on the market today in terms of speed and accuracy," said Jean-Marc Fontaine; Director of Sales and Operations, Americas at I.R.I.S. "Whether you are a student, businessman or road warrior, Readiris is a powerful tool when paired with any scanner, especially one of our portable scanners like the IRIScan Book 2."
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Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then, he’s loved all things PC-related and cool gadgets ranging from the New Nintendo 3DS to Android tablets. He is currently a contributor at Digital Trends, writing about everything from computers to how-to content on Windows and Macs to reviews of the latest laptops from HP, Dell, Lenovo, and more.