Visioneer (http:/www.visioneer.com), which makes intelligent document imaging solutions, has announced the Strobe 400, an US$2.99 duplex color scanner that measures 11.6 x 2.5 2 inches and weights 22 ounces. When used in duplex mode, it purportedly scans both sides of a page in six seconds.

The Strobe 400 can be connected to computer via the USB 2.0 interface and has a resolution of 600 DPI. It incorporates Visioneer OneTouch with Kofax VRS technology to create images from imperfect originals by which users can scan, file and store all of their documents, plastic ID cards, checks, articles, brochures and business cards. It can be powered through the computer’s USB port, or via wall-power.

The Strobe 400 includes patented Paper Driven and AutoLaunch technologies so scanning begins as soon as a document is inserted into the scanner, says John Capurso, vice president of marketing at Visioneer. It will also automatically convert, at the user’s option, any scanned item into a text-searchable PDF file while maintaining the visual integrity of the original document, he adds.

Powered by Visioneer OneTouch technology, users may scan to the “destination” of their choice by pressing a single button. The Strobe 400 supports Mac users with ExactScan, a driver and capture application that integrates with the OneTouch scanning buttons, plus NewSoft Presto! It's compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 and above.