FlicWatch Developer Newsletter

June 7, 2006

Events

Voice of the Developer

Flic Product Spotlight—Beta Users Wanted for Scanner Wedge for BlackBerry

You Ask, We Answer

Flic Developer Resources

Partner with Microvision

Flic Beat

Events:

Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference
July 11-13, 2006 Boston Convention Center, MA

If you are going and would like to meet, please let us know

Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF)
May 25 - June 18, Multiple theatre locations in Seattle, WA
SIFF is always a pleaser. Be sure to go if you are in the Seattle area before June 18th.

Are there other events you think we should know about? Events you should know about?

5-Year Roadmap
The FlicWatch Developer Newsletter usually focuses on informing the Flic Developer Community about Flic Scanner features, updates and news. Beginning this month, we want to give you an opportunity to provide us with information about your scanner hardware, software, and accessory needs to help you achieve business success.

We are planning our 5 – year product roadmap and would like to give you a voice.

Scanner Hardware (share your voice)
What would you like to see from Microvision? How can we improve Microvision bar code scanner products? What are the new features or functions that would help your business? What are your end users telling you?

Scanner Software (share your voice)
Features in wedge & SDK S/W. Missing platforms? Application S/W? Software utilities?

Scanner Accessories (share your voice)
Changes to existing accessories? New Accessories?

To share your voice click thru on each email link above. We may contact you for further information. Thank you in advance for the brain share toward our mutual business success.

Microvision welcomes suggestions, comments and other submissions from our community of customers, resellers, developers, and end users. After all, by listening to the community, we develop better products to our mutual benefit. That said, we must provide some legalese to you, before you share your great ideas with us.

Any comments, suggestions, ideas or any other materials submitted to us (collectively, the “Submissions”), will become Microvision’s property upon its submission. Microvision shall be entitled to unrestricted use of the Submissions for any purpose whatsoever, commercial or otherwise, without compensation to the provider of the Submissions. None of the Submissions shall be subject to any obligation of confidence on the part of Microvision, and Microvision shall not be liable for any use or disclosure of any Submissions. This submissions policy is intended to avoid the possibility of future misunderstandings when projects developed by Microvision’s staff might seem to others to be similar to their own creative work.

Flic Scanner Update Utility

Microvision is working on a web-based interface to update Flic Scanner firmware versions x.34 and later. Why would anybody want to update their firmware over the web? Great question – this is so you can take advantage of firmware updates including new features and performance improvements.

Features include:

Checking the version of the scanner firmware and displaying firmware updates available,
Description of update providing detail on why you would want or need a particular update,
A software utility for performing the firmware update, and
On screen verification that the update completed successfully.

Updates must be done over a serial or USB connection for Flic Scanners and Flic Cordless Scanners. The utility will automatically search available ports to find the connected scanner.

Is there a specific feature you would like to see in a web based update utility? (share your voice)

Scanner Wedge for PC & Windows Mobile nears completion

A super big thank you to those who participated in the beta programs for Scanner Wedge for Windows and Windows Mobile. Your participation helps us ensure that software we release is of the highest quality.

Special thanks to: Ralph K., Glen S., Gary S., Carien D., Mark S., Nathan J., Terry B., Paul B., George S., Gary H., Javier P., Steve M., Mark B., Robin W., and Marcel V.

Microvision Scanner Wedge for BlackBerry Beta Users Wanted

Microvision Scanner Wedge for BlackBerry software allows you to push bar code data from a Flic Cordless Scanner directly into any application running on a BlackBerry handheld. Beyond this core functionality, Scanner Wedge for BlackBerry offers the user a multitude of functions – auto-reconnect, prefix and suffix characters (such as enter or tab), auto-launch and numerous additional features.

Microvision Scanner Wedge for BlackBerry software is entering beta testing and we are hungry for additional feedback! If you wish to participate we will provide you with a Flic Cordless Scanner with the latest firmware (required), Scanner Wedge for BlackBerry software, and a user's manual. Your will need a BlackBerry device, and a willingness to share your feedback. If you satisfy these requirements and have a hankering to help us make our products better, please contact us.

I would like to participate in Microvision’s Beta – Scanner Wedge for BlackBerry!

As an incentive, participants will receive a care package to show our gratitude. It’s nothing super expensive, but it includes some neat stuff (hint: one of the items starts with a ‘b’ and ends with ‘aseball hat’).

By Tony Cataldo

Question: How do I get detailed technical information about the Flic Scanner?

The Flic Scanner is a highly configurable and highly versatile scanner. This means that developing for the Flic Scanner can be a bit confusing at first because of this flexibility. So, how can you get the information needed to write applications using the Flic Scanner? Well, that is where the fabulous Flic Technical Manual comes in handy. The Flic Technical Manual is in Compressed Help format (a .CHM file) and you read it using a browser. Macintosh users can find free .CHM readers on the Internet (type “Mac .CHM” into a search engine such as Google or Yahoo).

The Flic Technical Manual uses an on-line Help format to make the data easier to locate and read. Many Help manuals are merely electronic versions of printed manuals. These manuals are often difficult to read and navigate. The Flic Technical Manual was designed as an interactive manual rather than a printed manual. The topics are purposely kept short. Most topics fit on a single computer display without the need for scrolling (not all, but most). Hyperlinks are used whenever possible to separate topics and keep the main topic short.

Tabs

The manual has tabs for Contents, Index, Search, and Favorites. In the Contents tab the topics are organized into books with subtopics. Click on a major topic (a book icon) and it expands into subtopics. The menu for the main topic normally looks exactly like the list of subtopics. The Contents tab groups topics into a logical order that should make information fast and easy to find.

The Index tab groups the topics in alphabetical order. Just double-click the topic to display the information. Type a word or phrase into the Search tab to search the entire manual. For example, type “timestamp” to display a list of all articles that reference “timestamp.” After you find a topic you can save it in the Favorites tab. You can search for topics on the Contents, Index, or Search tabs and add the topic to the Favorites list by pressing the “Add” button.

Other Useful Sections

The Contents tab contains a section with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Selecting this topic presents a list of categories including Battery Usage, Connectivity, etc. Each of these categories then contains a menu of FAQs related to that category. This makes specific FAQs easier to find. And, of course, you can always use the Search tab to aid in finding a specific topic. The Reference Section contains useful information such as configuration bar codes, ASCII table, Glossary, etc.

Summary

The Flic Technical Manual contains loads of information and is a very easy-to-use and valuable resource. The Technical Manual is accessed through requesting the SDK at http://www.flicscanner.com/developers/sdk.php

Please share any suggestions for improvement to the Technical Manual.

Developer FAQ

App Note

Case Studies

Take advantage of this Special Coupon to Evaluate the Flic Scanner for your Application.

Integrate the Flic Scanner into your application. Request the SDK

Check out the Compatibility Matrix.

Report device compatibility issues or successes.

Flic Support. Need Help?