Re:Flexibility? (Score 1)

Actually, for grocery shopping, symbol (http://www.symbol.com) makes a bar code scanner (CS2000). You can presently use it at IGA and other grocers at mybutler.com to scan product bar codes (or printed bar coded shopping lists) to order your weekly supplies.

CS2000 has a documented SDK. We have developed a java software to interface the device to any web site (via HTTP). Overall the interface to such devices is pretty simple. Unfortunately these devices connect to the computer via the COM port, which limits the use (pc only) and requires the device to be tethered to a computer.

The device is also useless without a serious database of codes (UPC or other in the case of cuecat) since the device can only return the information that it has read (ie. the bar code numbers). Checkout barpoint for what they claim is a database of 100 million UPC.