Loaded an OLED display and an incredible 64GB of storage (further expandable via MicroSD), you simply run the pen (lengthwise) over text and color images to capture them at 600dpi. But to simplify matters even more, you can either unload images to a PC through USB, or you can just transfer shots to whatever device you'd like over Bluetooth.

According to DVICE, the quality was surprisingly good in testing, though for $369, it'd better be. [PlanOn via DVICE]

Spyuge, the amateur photographer responsible for this DIY gem, says that he took a 1200 dpi Epson GT-S620 scanner, and an old Canon FD 50mm lens, fusing the two together to produce this. He said he chose that particular scanner because it has a CCD sensor, uses a camera-like lens of its own and uses LED lighting. In some of the shots, there's obviously noticeable noise even at 800 or 1024 res, but all things considered, these photos are more than respectable.

Bouncing Red Ball also has a close-up zoom to show what kind of detail the camera setup can produce (SPOILER: it's not shabby at all). For the few brave ones out there, you can also check out a full-resolution image for yourself. This is not for the faint of heart. In case you don't want to do the (relatively basic) math, a 130-megapixel image calculates out to roughly a 13,000x10,000 resolution image.

Meanwhile the rest of us can appreciate some of the shots found in Spyuge's Flickr stream. [Spyuge via Bouncing Red Ball via Boing Boing Gadgets]

I love Scanwiches. It's a fantastic concept, aesthetically beautiful, and its creator and I both share similar tastes, like the ridiculously good Vietnamese meatball sandwich at Banh Mi So No. 1 that's just a few blocks away from Gizmodo HQ. It's not every day you see your favorite sandwich baring all on the web as you eat it.

The site is the brainchild of Jon Chonko, an NYC designer at thehappycorp global. Once I got in touch with him via Tumblr, I had to know more about the how, what and why of this excellent work.

Q: When did the idea for Scanwiches strike, and what was your inspiration?

A: I think the word popped into my head first and then I had to see how it would actually look. I've always loved scanning things. It's a very specific way of capturing an image. Everything—exposure, depth of field—is totally pre-set on a scanner so you try and explore the stuff you do have control with.

Once the project started getting popular people began sending me things, especially foods, that people have scanned. There's a guy who does fast food, another person who did a project scanning green market produce, and several artists who do scanned flowers. It's a weird little genre I didn't now existed and was pleased to find I was a part of.

Q: What kind of scanner do you use?

A: I use my girlfriend's old scanner. It has a broken lid and she didn't want it. It's an HP scanjet 4570c and it was made in 2002. The thing is on its last legs. It sounds like a subway train hitting the brakes every time it starts a scan. I think it has a max optical resolution of 400 dpi but it's been a while since I read the manual.

Q: What is your process for scanning them? Do you just clean the glass really well after each one or put down some kind of transparent film for easy cleanup? Do much cleaning up in Photoshop or anything?


A: I clean the glass at the end of each set with Windex and a paper towel but between sandwiches it just gets wiped down. We started with a plastic film when we first scanned but we found that it fogged up when we did hot sandwiches. Straight onto the glass gets the best quality. This is a full time sandwich scanning machine—we have another really nice photo scanner for office use.



I take the image into Photoshop and do some white balance and color-correction but nothing dramatic. The sandwiches have to look appealing and realistic. I want people who see a sandwich on the site to recognize it if they've ordered it. It's about education first and delight second.

Q: What's the sloppiest sandwich you've scanned?

A: Eggplant Parmesan from Parisi Bakery. I had to wipe the thing down with a wet cloth afterwards.

If you have yet to do so, go check out Scanwiches this instant. Then, do the right thing: get yourself a sandwich. It's lunchtime!

The booths from China, obviously, were our favorites. [Toy Fair 2009]

But I'm skeptical as to whether or not you can fit all the parts and electronics needed into a usable pen. You'd need room for a power source, refillable ink cartridges and a chamber for mixing ink. Still, the idea is pretty neat, is it not? Marker companies would become obsolete. [I new Idea via Oh Gizmo]

Like their previous book scanner, the V100 uses character recognition technology to scan every word on a page, even words curved into the spine of your book. More than just cloning your books into PDF and other visual files, the Book Reader can automatically convert your literature into MP3s, which will use a "natural voice synthesis" as your storyteller.

Having your books in MP3 format would mean that you will be able to easily carry your books around on an existing MP3 player without having to purchase an electronic reader. However, as they are currently priced at $700, forking up the cash for a Kindle does seem cheaper in comparison. [Wired]

The device works by placing the sample in close proximity to the sensor and beaming a strong light through it. The sensor doesn't take a scientifically useful photo, but rather looks for each cell's unique light diffraction signature to spot and count it. It compares each signature to its onboard cell database to distinguish healthy and infected cells of many different types almost instantly.

Not only does the system not require a lens or any particularly expensive components at all—the computer processing required is minimal and can be handled by a smartphone, making this incredibly ideal for bringing advanced medical diagnostics to places that currently don't have them. [Technology Review via Medgadget]

It's no badass like the 7200dpi Plustek OpticFilm 7300, but it costs $100 less and goes beyond most standard scanners, including a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor, 1800dpi resolution and 10-bit color. It doesn't look like it's got a sheet feeder; instead it has a tray specifically suited to 3x5, 4x6 and 5x7s. Drop 'em in, press a button, and presto, it magically becomes a picture on your computer screen—if you have Windows, that is. [Hammacher]

But here's the problem. Printers don't get outdated nearly as fast as computers, and as long as it's still working, you expect it to still be supported within a reasonable time frame. Four years is reasonable. HP's updated this particular model number for Vista, which is actually also a problem since many users have cited printer driver compatibility as a reason why they don't want to update to Vista.

In Matt's case, there are some open source drivers and scanning suites available so he can get scanning to work under Leopard. It may require a bit of trial and error, since open source drivers/suites aren't exactly as install-and-forget as the official ones, but it beats having to buy a new printer. [Consumierst]

You can blow pictures up to 17 x 22 inches from both film or print format, and the scanner comes with both Digital ICE and Epson Easy Photo Fix programs. Cost is $250 and the V500 is available right now. [Akihabara]

Well, the device may one day be used to operate other electronic devices with your mind (like your cellphone or MP3 player) or it can be used to play "mind games" with other people. Now if they could design it so you don't look like a retarded ninja from the '80s while wearing it. – Louis Ramirez

Walkman-style Brain Scanner [Pink Tentacle via TechDigest]

New Software Restores Shredded Documents [The Raw Feed]

And people complained that all they wanted was a cellphone that works. Indeed. – Nicholas Deleon

Possio GRETA [Possio via Newlaunches.com]

Well, the few of you out there who scan books on a regular basis and everyone at Google Books are gonna love this scanner. It has a wedge built into it that fits into the spine of your book, allowing you to scan the entire page right up to the edge. Adding the wedge really jacks up the price of a scanner that's really only going to be scanning in B&W anyways, with the price at a pretty ludicrous $318. –Adam Frucci

Product Page [via Oh Gizmo!]

Vidoblog [via Gizmologia - Thanks Manu!]

Planon's RC800 DocuPen works just like the old hand-held scanners from the 1980s: just slide it over the page. Now, of course, you can just whip it out of your handbag, do the deed, and plug it in later to a PC or Mac's USB port to view the secret plans. It is available now through the manufacturer's website at www.planon.com, priced $350.

Be warned that the "pen" is in fact 9 1/2 inches long, so DocuPaintbrush or DocuSausage might have been more apt, albeit harder to market, names for the device.

Color ScanPen [NYTimes.com]

Check out the link for some video of the beast in action.

Information Page [Via Red Ferret]