Kitchen inventory tracking ...

[electron]

I know some of us have played with this idea before, and after seeing an article about it today on slashdot, I found this site:

http://www.cedarnet.org/smartware/Hardware/PantryPod/

It uses the Cuecat barcode scanner, pretty cool!

 

[DavidL]

I have Tom Caldwell's HS kitchen inventory / shopping list script working with a www.flicscanner.com bluetooth scanner. The wireless capability is essential for the kitchen so that you bring the scnanner to the groceries / shelf, then bring the product to the scanner.

 

[Squintz]

i think i have one of those cuecats laying around somewhere. Got it a few years back free from radioshack. Never thought of using it to inventory kitchen stuff.

 

[electron]

I have a few boxes of them (both usb and serial), I was thinking about mounting one above the trashcan, and one in my pantry, so there is no need for the system to be wireless, I just don't have the time yet.

 

[DavidL]

I also have a cuecat from RadioShack a few years ago. IMO, not a very good scanner and takes too many reswipes for identification that I would think a casual user would think it's not worth the hassle. Good to for a proof of concept, but not good enough for daily use.

 

[Squintz]

Doubt my fiance would ever remember to scan the products. When are those stores gonna start putting RFID in everything. That would be nice. If you stick it in the pantry it gets added. If you drop it in the can it gets subtracted from the list.

 

[DavidL]

Walmart is the one spurring on the RFID efforts. I read that their technology vendors / product suppliers are falling behind schedule getting robust implementation out in the market.

 

[smee]

I think the current goal with Walmart is getting the RFID tags on the "crates," not the individual products. The suppliers are having trouble meeting the deadline for that. Who knows when the tags will be on individual products.

 

[TonyNo]

Smee is correct. Walmart backed down from demanding that all products be RFID'ed to just the shipping cartons/skids.

 

[dlgardne]

I too use the Flic scanner with Tom C's scripts. Mine is the "batch" version (cheaper than Blue tooth and still lets me be mobile). Real handy... Scan the "stuff when you bring it home. Scan the recycle bin when you dump it.

Dennis