Turn your digital camera into a fax/photocopier

Filed in archive Tools on September 19, 2006

I have to credit blogger and entrepreneur Dan Marques for his posting on this one.

scanR makes it possible for you to use your digital camera or camera phone to make copies of white boards, documents or business cards and create PDF files that can be stored on your computer or e-mailed anywhere.

The process could easily replace the photocopier, fax and maybe a couple of other pieces of business equipment I'm not even thinking of at the moment.

The journalist in me can also think of a few other nefarious uses for the technology dealing largely with obtaining copies of public documents...but I digress.

Anyway, the process is fairly simple and free according to the website. Just snap a photo of a document, download it and send it to scanR and an enhanced PDF file is sent to your e-mail.

According to the website, the technology enhances the photographs of white boards like this, documents like this and business cards like this.

Why is this important to the bootstrapper? Because of the possibilities of operating a high function office without significant equipment overhead, of course.

I do see some potential problems, however, depending on the type of business involved.

The issue might largely be one of privacy. I don't know if I would want to send sensitive documents via e-mail to a third party site. Then again, I would not necessarily want to send them via fax either.

It might be nice to have a similar application available for download or purchase allowing private use in the home. I know it's a very anti-2.0 suggestion, but I think under certain circumstances it may fill a need. (Get the hint, software bootstrappers?')

Oh, one other point made by the website, and that is the fact that scanR allows you to make and send copies while in transit thus not requiring you to get back to the office to copy or transfer a document.

I'll check out scanR at my earliest convenience, but meanwhile, according to scanR evangelist Brandon Watts the product will also be shown off at Demo fall'06 a premier launch event for new businesses and technology in San Diego Sept. 25-27.