What's the perfect gift for the person who has everything? How about a way to organize it all? The Groqit personal inventory system scans, labels and records bar codes, all in a handy pen-shaped carry-around package. If you've got a vendetta against transferring everything to digital and are still harboring collectiond of CDs or DVDs, then this just might be the way to keep track of it all.
Groqit: Personal Inventory Management System
Once a bar code is scanned, it's kept within the Groqit's 128MB storage, which can hold more than a million bar codes. You can then organize your bar codes into categories for better management.
The groqit can also help those that have really unmanageable collections from buying duplicates.
The device can work independently to "check" collections, or it can be used with a Mac or PC computer—via an USB connection—to connect to Groqit's Web site, where you can sync to your account and translate the bar codes into the real products' names and information. You can then share the inventory with Groqit-owning friends or family members so that you won't buy them something they already have and vice versa.
We think you could also adapt this technology to create uni-store registries. If you're getting married and just aren't the department store type, you could take the Groqit to any store and scan any product with a bar code, then share your list with friends.
It 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.
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FREE STUFF:
Actually, most of the online services can be used FREE, without buying a Groqit. Anyone who gives or receives gifts should be interested.
Even people who have a shelf or two of DVDs may want to use those free services.
You know what you've got in your collection -- but does even your best friend know which movies you've already got? A kid who's got a box full of video games (and wants more new ones of course) can try to keep Grandpa up to date on his growing stash, so he will get something he wants for his birthday -- but the Groqit site makes it all easier and more civilized.
Our data bases help you make lists of music, movies, books and games. They translate from barcodes, or you can hand-enter a name and let the free online tools fill in the rest.
The Groqit site's tools help you create lists of anything you want to, as many as you want -- up to 100 items per list, free.
SHARING LISTS:
You have your wishlist for books, you put up the list of romance novels you already have, or all those games. Then you invite your friends to be Groqit Buddies with you. (This is private and secure.) They can look at the lists you want them to see, and if they decide to, they can use the free services to create their own lists to share.
You have everything in one place, and its a lot less tacky than sending out a "gimme" list around birthday time.
To make a one-store Registry (and we do have a Registry section in those free services) you can scan barcodes, but the translations will only be automatic (from our databases) if the item is a book, movie, music CD or game. However, there is a "notes" section you can use to say anything you want about an item. Like "this is a bottle of XYZ Wine." But one of the beauties of the Groqit is that it is independent of any one store. It goes wherever you go, and takes your lists with. So if you're a very giving person, you can take your Groqit to the mall, packed with the wishlists of all your friends, as well as the what-not-to-get lists of the ones with big collections (e.g. "He's got all those Batman movies, but not this one; I'll surprise him with it!")
FOR COLLECTORS:
Finally, for people who are serious collectors -- and there are a lot of us -- just the word INSURANCE should conjure up some thoughts. The services are mostly free. They are very helpful for large collections, as the tools reduce the drudgery of data entry. We store the data securely on our servers, just in case.
We encourage people use to the free services; we know some will want the convenience and portability, and buy themselves a Groqit.
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