[Electronics-talk] Identifying Groceries

[Ashley Bramlett]

Hi Sarah,
I think your best barcode option is the Id mate. I've heard it has the more 
extensive database.
Maybe your friend can get one at a resell price. Also, some vendors have 
payment plans.
It sounds like the friend really wants to use barcodes for independent use. 
Other electronic options may be efficient too, but require more work at the 
beginning. If he or she has access to sighted assistance, you can audio 
label items which is probably just as fast as scanning an item. Also, I 
suggest being organized. For instance group all baking items together, 
condiments together, put canned vegetables on one side of a pantry and 
canned fruit on another.
I say this because you do not want to scan like 20 items simply to find 
them. Organization eliminates some
of this hastle.
With audio labeling, you have to record your own label on it, so you'll 
need some initial assistance. But I think such options are less expensive.

Audio labeling systems include:
1. the Pen friend
2. Sherlock talking label identifier
3. Touch Memo
4. Reizen talking label identifier



There are aps but IMO it takes more learning then and I don't know how tech 
savvy or patient this friend is.
The aps require you to take a picture of the product usually. I wouldn't 
want to send out my pictures to be identified; I don't like people knowing 
what I have. It strikes me as a privacy thing.
A camera on those smart phones takes some adjustment to use such as holding 
the product a certain distance away from it.
Stand alone products detect the barcode better from different angles.
Also with aps, you have to get the barcode scanned and there's no standard 
place for the barcode. More often, its at a bottom of a can or box.
I think stand alone products are the best option. Seems more flexible to me.

There is a windows based program called Scan and Say talking barcode system. 
You scan a product with the scanner it comes with and a voice reads you the 
labels and you can custom label items as well.

One more thing. The pac mate has an accessory for bar codes that you can buy 
to work with the pacmate. Other notetakers may offer an option like this, 
and I wish the braille note had this option.

The pac mate accessory is called Scan talker.

Hope these ideas help. There are not many bar code readers out there that 
don't require another device such as  a pc or notetaker.

Ashley
-----Original Message----- 
From: Sarah Clark
Sent: Sunday, August 04, 2013 2:00 PM
To: electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Electronics-talk] Identifying Groceries

Hi All,

I have an ID Mate, which I love. It is a stand alone device that I can wave 
over the bar code of a grocery item and it scans the bar code and tells me 
what that item is. I have a friend who wants something that does the same 
thing, but the ID Mate costs $1,200, and she would prefer not to pay that 
much. I am wondering what other devices are out there that work the same way 
(by scanning the bar code). Please share anything you are aware of -- iPhone 
apps as well as stand alone devices.
Thanks,
Sarah
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