Barcode Scanners: A Comparison of Serial, Keyboard Wedge, and USB Interfaces

(A 4 minute read…) There are various computer models that barcode scanners can be attached to, and it’s important to familiarize yourself with the physical connection types and communication protocols to determine which barcode scanner would be best for you. Serial/RS232 Interface RS232, commonly referred to as serial, is a communication protocol—not a physical connection….

4 Common Types of Cash Drawers

L-Tron offers a variety of cash drawer options, and unless you’re the person responsible for purchasing one, you’ve probably never thought about how they work. We expect them to just open after entering a sale, right? So, how do you determine which one is right for you? The following is a very brief overview of…

4 Great Features of the Star Micronics mPOP

Every day, I see more and more businesses moving to a mobile-based POS system (yes, even the ones found inside brick and mortar stores). While there are a number of software options out there, there is still the need to have some sort of mobile device (typically an iPad, Android tablet, or Microsoft Surface), printer…

Technology at the Grocery Store

Before I started this job, waiting in line at the grocery store was a boring task, to say the least. I never had the slightest idea about the different kinds of technology that were required to make the mundane task of scanning groceries work efficiently. Now, every time I go through the line, I can’t…

Are EMV Chips Really Protecting Your Credit Card Information?

I was standing at a cash register the other day, waiting and waiting while my brand new credit card was parked inside the machine—you know, the one where you used to be able to do a quick swipe and then go. It was one of those awkward moments, like standing in an elevator side by…

Decoding Those Business and Data Collection Acronyms

This week, as I was setting up swimming lessons with my son’s coach via email, I typed “ttys” and hit “send.” A few hours later, I received a reply with details of when and where the lessons would take place, followed by a question: “What does ttys mean?” I was temporarily stunned that someone could…

Keeping your Business Ahead with a 2D Imager

Is customer satisfaction important to you? “Of course,” you say. If you are a member of the retail or hospitality sectors, it is likely that you’ve seen tremendous change over the past decade – both in the way companies are doing business and in the behaviors and expectations of the customer. For instance, a decade…

Victoria’s Secret and Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS)

With the holiday season right upon us, I couldn’t help but want to get a jump start on my shopping. Nothing stresses me out more than the looks of the mall parking lot a few days before Christmas. With that in mind and all the decorations that started popping up, I couldn’t help but be…

The Rise of EMV and How it Will Affect You

What is EMV? EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard and Visa. It is a global plan to reduce credit card fraud in multiple ways by taking advantage of chip-card transactions:  EMV cards make the technology required to forge a fraudulent credit card much more expensive and out of the reach of potential criminals.  EMV transactions use…