I am about to head on out next week for vacation so I thought we could offer you a treat before I left. 
The scanR contest: Win a 1 Year Subscription for BlackBerry Users
Following the release of scanR’s new Mobile v2 application for BlackBerry camera phones on March 28, the company was kind enough to offer all of you the chance to win a free 1-year subscription($30 value) to scanR.
We posted on the public availability of the scanR service last month, and before that if you want to read more about the service. However if you’re new to scanR, the basic idea of the service is that it lets you scan, copy and fax handwriting on notes and whiteboards using your Blackberry. You just need to send the image to scanR, which they convert to PDF format and send back to you as well as any colleagues, family members or friends you specify, which makes sharing information on the go a snap.
The scanR Mobile for BlackBerry application has seen many improvements including accessing the camera directly, enabling sharing from the address book, allowing quick access to view scans on the scanR website, and incorporating a simple step by step tutorial for first time users. These new features were added recently to reduce the time needed to capture and share new scans, and to help users out.
scanR is promising that as RIM introduces better cameras they will allow you to capture office documents, receipts, business cards, books, or just about anything with printed text.
The contest is simple. Just give us your best ideas on how you could use scanR in the comments of this post. You can comment as many times as you want, though there will be only one winner. The contest will close April 28th, 2008.
Below are some examples that scanR provided us to get your imagination started:
Usage examples:
New York based Mortgage Broker…
“Obviously, nobody wants to let me walk out of their house with original tax returns, a drivers’ license, social security card, mortgage statements, etc. And they rarely have a copy machine on hand when I’m on an appointment. In the past, I’ve gone so far as to walk a half mile from a client’s house in Queens, to find a bodega with a copy machine! Many times I’ve had to convince clients that I will either hand deliver these docs back the following day or pay to overnight them back. scanR has eliminated all of these problems.”
San Francisco-based Business Management Consultant…
“We are in the business of helping companies solve problems. Needless to say we spend a lot of time in a conference room brainstorming in front of a whiteboard to figure out what our approach will be. The process of getting this linear logic on a board is a critical component… we never had a mechanism to capture that… we usually just have an analyst write out on a piece a paper and give copies to people.”
Where to get scanR Mobile:
scanR Mobile v2 has an application for BlackBerry devices. You can read about scanR and view some screenshots at this link. Or just head on over to m.scanr.com on your BlackBerry to try it yourself with the free trial.
dave Not Registered
Posted: April 16, 2008 at 10:23 AM EST
well, i downloaded the release for my pearl 8130 the day it came out and was very impressed…in terms of regular usage, here’s what i’ve got in store:
car accidents, license reg and license plates: in event of an accident i plan to use scanr to take pics of every document presented by the other party. seriously, do you EVER have a photocopier on you when you get in a car accident and need a copy of license, registration, other docs, license plate, etc?? exactly. this is the most practical and brilliant use i could ever imagine for day to day scanr use (just hope i don’t get in any crazy accidents now that i’ve said it)
transaction receipts where copies vary: you know how sometimes you buy something, food, a device, whatever, and the receipt you get varies in form from the one the store holds (eg itemization varies) – i plan to snap pics whenever that happens and store via scanr….
keith Not Registered
Posted: April 16, 2008 at 11:54 AM EST
As a single dad of two young boys in elementary school who’s very active in their education, I can see many uses for this type of service. There are always numerous paper postings and flyers tacked on the school bulletin board– anything from available services, school happenings, upcoming events, PTA events, lunch menus, and the like.
Unfortunately, I need to rush off to the office soon after dropping them off in the mornings, I don’t have enough time to read everything, so I either end up doing a quick scan to pick and choose those items that are of interest and hurriedly entering them into my Blackberry or snap a quick photo of things that are just too lengthy to type and hope to be able to transcribe them later when I have downtime into my notes or turn them into calendar entries or tasks. Then I would pass along items of particular interest via email to the other parents of my sons’ fellow classmates to try to coordinate groups outings, etc…
To be able to snap a photo and have it converted for storage or for later review and sharing with the other parents would definitely shorten the time it takes to transcribe and distribute and, at the same time, give other busy parents time enough to review and respond.
Another great use I envision for this service would be to make copies of any paperwork relevant to the kids’ daily lives (health records, progress reports, permission slips) just to have available on my Blackberry for instant reference should I get the surprise call from the principal’s office.
It would be a tremendous help in this area of my life. Most of the other parts of my life are nearing paperless. One of the the few exceptions is elementary school here, which still mostly thrives in the world of paper and forms and the practice of sending notices home with the kids to be signed and returned.
This said, I just downloaded the trial and am going to see how much it can help with this facet of my daily life.
Cheers!
Summer H Not Registered
Posted: April 16, 2008 at 9:19 PM EST
I found a need for ScanR when at work I desperately needed a copies of Memos and Directives following a major corporate conference call. Time was of the essence as my co-workers and I were preparing for another important conference call. I then remembered that instead of running all the way to the copier and back and possibly getting into trouble with the boss, I pulled out my BlackBerry Pearl and took pictures of all the notes in about a minute! I was able to then print out the Memos and Directives after work when I finally got the chance! Same goes for the 2nd conference call! This definitely was a lifesaver as I didn’t need to spend too many precious minutes hunting down an unused copier or the embarrassment of asking my boss for copies!
Susan Chappel Not Registered
Posted: April 20, 2008 at 4:48 PM EST
As a parent of two teen daughters, as well as being a wireless consultant for Alltel, I can find several ways to use this software and the convenience it would add to my life, as well as being able to demo it for my customers and show them the advantage and convenience of this software could give to them. My customers rely on our knowledge of the current software out there and showing them the latest in technology. I can see a lot of potential with this, and I would definitely put it to use. From medical documents, office documents, permissions, quick communication, and since the majority of my customers are military and business customers, this would be perfect to help benefit them as well.