14 DAY TRIAL // Checking out at retail store can be done faster and easier now, Infinite Peripherals Inc. promises. The company has recently released a new gadget that attaches to the iPod touch, allowing retailers to efficiently check customers in or out while shopping.
Linēa-pro is a unique, patent-pending device including a barcode scanner and a magnetic stripe reader that, according to the company, harnesses the power and portability of the iPod touch. Basically, we are dealing with a new mobile point-of-sale (POS) system, just like the ones everyone is used to sliding their cards in, at any retail store.
Furthermore, the fresh gizmo can interact with other software applications installed on the iPod, allowing for ID verification, inventory management, lead tracking, inspection/work flow, as well as asset tracking, dispatch, time/labor and lab& healthcare. “It reads multiple barcodes and all three standard magnetic stripe tracks used by financial, transit, telecom and driver’s license agencies. It accepts customer signatures, while purchase receipts can be wirelessly printed or e-mailed,” the company assures future customers. Infinite Peripherals is reportedly working on creating support for an iPhone version as well.
“With the Linēa-pro, we’re markedly improving business efficiencies through technology,” said Jeffrey Scott, vice president of sales at IPC. “We’re bringing the functionality of a cash register to iPod touch, giving retailers a great new way to help customers check out faster than ever before,” he added.
Linēa-pro is already used at major retail stores throughout the U.S. making retail customer purchases effortless, the manufacturer reports. The gadget is a two-pieced plastic shell that can be attached to 2nd and 3rd generation iPod touch devices running OS 3.1.2 and higher. Once its 30-pin mating connector is plugged in, the Linēa-pro uses its own software to store data locally, or send it from the iPod touch via a Wi-Fi network. This lightweight gimmick retails for $499 with a one-year warranty for manufacturer’s defects.
“For the past 10 years, IPC has specialized in taking readily available, low-cost consumer devices, such as the Palm, Treo, HP iPAQ and BlackBerry, and building peripherals around them to give them the functionality of a much higher priced item,” added Jeffrey Scott.