Groqit: a new way to keep tabs on your stuff
About the size of a pen, the Groqit can store more than a million barcodes.
Those people who copy DVDs need not apply, but if you've purchased tons of DVDs, there's now a nifty way to keep them all in your pocket.
It's a simple product called Groqit that reads, stores, and organizes barcodes and therefore is able to keep tabs on any barcode-based inventory (which extends to most consumer products, such as books, DVDs, and so on).
This battery-operated device is shaped like a pen and incorporates a little scanner. Once a barcode is scanned, it's kept within the device's 128MB built-in storage and you can assign it to a category for better management. The device can store more than a million barcodes.
The idea is that by keeping this "pen," you can immediately check to see if you have already purchased a product and therefore are less likely to buy a duplicate.
The device can work independently or can be used with a Mac or PC computer--via an USB connection--to connect to Groqit's Web site, where you can sync the device's data base with your account and translate the barcodes into the real products' names and information.
Groqit costs $95 and comes with 30 days or 300 free translations, whichever comes first. After that, you'll have pay $4.95 a month for the translation service. Another advantage of the Web site is that you can share the inventory with friends or family members so that you won't buy them something they already have and vice versa.
Personally, I think this is a cool device, though I do believe that if you have more stuff than you can remember, chances are it's time for a garage sale. Even then, Groqit definitely will still come in handy to organize successful sales. The best thing is if you have two Groqits--they'll keep tab of each other and you are guaranteed not to accidentally buy a third one.