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  #1  
Old 01-11-2010, 03:30 PM
Don Tolson
Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 749
Default Your Own Mobile Fax Machine with Wizcode PhotoCopy Mobile 1.4

Product Category: Imaging Software
Manufacturer: WizCode
Where to Buy: Mobihand [affiliate]
Price: $14.95USD.  A fully-functioning 30-day trial version is available.
System Requirements: WM5 or above; Works with touch or non-touchscreen phones; resolutions from 240x240 to 800x480.  Requires phone/pda to have built-in camera and have approximately 5Mb of free RAM to run.
Specifications: Uses approximately 1.5Mb of memory.

Pros:

  • Simple to use, very finger friendly;
  • Can produce single or multipage PDFs;
  • Works in colour or b&w (best results are in b&w, depending upon light levels).

Cons:

  • Output is dependent upon the quality of the photo images -- there is no image enhancement capability built into the application;
  • Only produces an image-imbedded PDF -- no OCR to translate content into text.

Summary: This is my kind of application.  It does one simple thing, it does it well, and it's simple and easy to use.  Wizcode's Photocopy Mobile turns your phone into a mobile photocopier/fax/scanner with the ability to convert an image taken with the camera into an emailable PDF document.  Now, you can easily share those wonderful whiteboard ideas with the rest of the workshop, or send in that latest signed contract to head office, right from your phone!

Introduction

Ever been in a meeting where someone (maybe you?) is developing a great idea on the whiteboard and then you come to the end of the meeting and.... someone has to transcribe it down before the concept is lost.  It's no fun for the designated 'secretary'.  My solution has been to use my phone's camera to capture the board, then download it to my PC, clean it up, then ship it out to the meeting participants.  The problem is, it's a multi-step process;  the output is a JPEG and emails/MSWord get a little hairy dealing with pictures (especially two or three in a row); and there's no easy way to ensure the receiver gets them in the right order.  Wizcode's Photocopy Mobile provides an easy, all-in-one solution, by combining the camera, PDF converter and email interface into one small application.

Installation

Over the years, installation of Windows Mobile applications has become pretty routine.  Wizcode PhotoCopy Mobile provides either a .CAB file which you copy to the device and install yourself, or the ActiveSync/Mobile Device Center .EXE file which you download to your PC and run from there.

Wizcode also provides two versions of the software -- one for a touchscreen phone (previously called the 'Pro' version), and another for non-touchscreen phones (aka Smartphones).  Both are available from Mobihand.

Once you complete the installation, the software runs from the Programs menu.  On the first run, Wizcode PhotoCopy will display the End-User Licensing Agreement (EULA) and then present a screen to input the registration code (if you have one).  If you are running a trial version, subsequent runs of the software will present this registration screen with a countdown of the number of days left in the trial.

Past the registration screens, you are presented with Wizcode PhotoCopy's main screen.

Figure 1: Here is the main screen of Wizcode PhotoCopy.  Definitely not a complicated interface.  The top and middle areas provide previews of the current and associated images in the document.  The icons along the bottom are (from left to right): scan a page; create PDF; and remove image.

Creating a Document

The first step is to create the images for your document.  This is done using the camera built into your unit.  Pressing the green camera/scan button in the lower right activates the camera application.  As you can see from the example here, positioning, steady hands, and lighting are important to getting a clear image.  Wizcode PhotoCopy does not include any image enhancement capabilities, so you pretty well have to get it right at shutter close.

Wizcode PhotoCopy can easily handle colour documents, but for me, black&white worked best and provided the clearest results.  If you camera has a flash LED, I would definitely recommend using it, in order to get the maximum amount of light on the subject.

Once you've taken a picture of the first page, press the camera's return/OK icon and you'll be returned to Wizcode PhotoCopy with the image imbedded as the first page.

Figure 2: After taking a picture of the first page, or the first document, PhotoCopy updates the screen to show the current image (top), and thumbnails of how the images will appear in the final document (middle).

If you are creating a multi-page document, just tap the scan button again to go back to the camera and take the next picture.  There are options available in the Tools menu to re-arrange the images within the document structure.  You can also add any other stored images on your unit, whether you took them with the camera or not.

Figure 3: Here are the options available in the Tools/Images menu for moving images around in the document before the PDF is produced.  The image to be moved is selected by tapping its icon in the thumbnails strip.  The Edit function provides tools for cropping and rotating the image.

If something went wrong with an image/page, just tap the big red X.  Yea, I know, it feels a bit strange doing that, doesn't it?  It feels like you're going to something majorly disastrous.

Figure 4: Tapping on the big red X on the main screen provides an 'undo' feature, if the picture taken didn't come out well, or you got the wrong image. Once again, this feature refers to the currently selected image.

As you can see above, the Undo/Erase feature normally only removes the image link from the PDF, but you can optionally request that it also deletes the actual image file from the phone as well.

Once you have everything you want in the document and in the right order, it's time to produce the PDF file.  To do this, tap on the PDF/diskette (anyone remember those?) icon in the middle of the screen.

Figure 5: When producing the PDF, you can either select the default name (based on time and date) or create your own name, and you can specify where the document is to be stored.  Although the examples shown here are to the main storage of the phone, it worked equally well if I sent them to an available storage card.

Figure 6: Creation of a PDF usually only takes a couple of seconds, depending upon the size and number of images to be processed.

Wizcode PhotoCopy creates a PDF document of imbedded images only (i.e. the ones you took). There is no Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capability included to convert the content to machine-readable text, so documents can't be searched for words or phrases, nor can diagrams be altered.  For my purposes of documenting discussions and diagrams, this is fine.  Because it is basically an unalterable PDF, it could also be used for transmitting signed copies of documents, etc.

Sharing with the World

After the PDF is created, Wizcode PhotoCopy gives you the option to view the PDF or to share it with others via email.

Figure 7: Deciding what to do with your document. There is an option to inhibit this message from being displayed, in which case Wizcode PhotoCopy assumes you want to just store the PDF and deal with it on your own later on.

Figure 8: WizCode PhotoCopy also includes a copy of Adobe Reader LE for mobile units, so you can view the final product before you send it out.

Figure 9: If you decide to Share your document, you can send the file via email to anyone you wish.  (Note, this does require that you have an email account established on the unit).  If you have multiple email accounts on your phone, it will utilize the Outlook outbound account server first, or the first email account created.  Both the Subject line and Message body are modifiable, but are limited.  I couldn't see any way to access the email addresses in my Contacts list from here, so you'll have to add the recipients directly.

Figure 10: Once you've completed viewing and/or emailing your document, Wizcode PhotoCopy will ask if you'd like to create a new PDF (a new session) or continue working with the existing images to create a revised PDF file.

Conclusion

As I mentioned before, I love this application for its simplicity.  It does just one thing; has a very simple and easy to user interface; and does the job well. The biggest advantage for me is that it allows me to untether even further from my laptop/PC and be able to send participants documentation of their meeting, right after the meeting while the concepts are fresh.  Now, if I could just find some way to have diagrams automatically loaded into MS Visio (TM) :-).

Don is an Associate Director of Project Management and Systems Development with Fujitsu Consulting.  He's been working with PDAs and Smartphones since the early days of the Sharp Wizard, iPAQ and Jornadas.  As the Enterprise Mobility lead for North America, he works with clients who want to take their applications that one step further into 'mobility' by putting them right on the corporate phones.

Do you enjoy using new hardware, software and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join us on the Thoughts Media Review Team! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested? Then click here for more information.

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  #2  
Old 01-12-2010, 05:37 PM
Gerard
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,043

Fax? Aside from a couple of casual mentions in your article using the word 'fax' I see nothing about this program to indicate that it offers facsimile transmission capability via a phone line - the definition of a 'fax.' Seems to do a good job of making a PDF, and offers a somewhat primitive tool for sending said PDF by email as your review indicates, but one needs something like KSE TrueFax to actually send a fax from a Windows Mobile device, and some sort of phone line modem, usually taking the form of a CF card modem and so usually limiting users to devices with CF slots... which equals about 1 currently sold model of WM device.
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Last edited by Gerard; 01-12-2010 at 05:50 PM..
 
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  #3  
Old 01-12-2010, 05:42 PM
Don Tolson
Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 749

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerard View Post
Fax? Aside from a couple of casual mentions in your article using the word 'fax' I see nothing about this program to indicate that it offers facsimile transmission capability via a phone line - the definition of a 'fax.' Seems to do a good job of making a PDF, and offers a somewhat primitive tool for sending said PDF by email as your review indicates, but one needs something like KSE TrueFax to actually send a fax from a Windows Mobile device, and some sort of phone line modem, usually taking the form of a CF card modem and so usually limiting users to devices with CF slots... which equals about 1 currently sold model of WM device.
True... I should have been more specific. Wizcode PhotoCopy doesn't do facsimile transmission via phone lines. I was intending that it could provide an equivalent service via the pdf to email function described. Sorry if I caused any confusion.
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  #4  
Old 01-15-2010, 02:22 PM
antontomov
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 20

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerard View Post
Fax? Aside from a couple of casual mentions in your article using the word 'fax' I see nothing about this program to indicate that it offers facsimile transmission capability via a phone line - the definition of a 'fax.' Seems to do a good job of making a PDF, and offers a somewhat primitive tool for sending said PDF by email as your review indicates, but one needs something like KSE TrueFax to actually send a fax from a Windows Mobile device, and some sort of phone line modem, usually taking the form of a CF card modem and so usually limiting users to devices with CF slots... which equals about 1 currently sold model of WM device.
Hi Gerard,
This is Anton Tomov from Wizcode. The term "fax" (which is also used in our own product description) refers to the functionality of being able to scan and send a paper document to someone else electronically. You are right that the application cannot dial a fax machine and send the scanned papers directly. However there are plenty of email-to-fax gateways that let you actually deliver the pdf to s real fax machine. Sorry if that caused any confusion. Not sure why you think the tool for sending emails is "primitive" but I am open to any discussions on what should be improved. We tried to make the PDF sharing as simple as possible and will release a new version in less than a week that lets you pick a contact directly from the contact list instead of making you type in the email address. If there is anything that we can do to make this process more convenient please share your thoughts.

Cheers,
Anton
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Wizcode
 
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  #5  
Old 01-15-2010, 05:13 PM
Richard76
Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 170

This looks like a great little business application for my HTC Fuze. I travel frequently for business and am always looking for "better" ways to simplify my life. I have used KSE TrueFax in the past and now use MyFax to allow my incoming faxes (which are not really that many any more) to follow me out of my "One-man Office" to wherever I am. Photocopy Mobile is a logical addition to electronic "faxing", making it even more portable.

Now I can only hope that WizCode is developing a version for the iPhone as I carry both devices and am always on a mission to have the same software (if possible) on both devices.
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  #6  
Old 01-15-2010, 08:35 PM
Gerard
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,043

- An actual fax transmission is rather well known to be among the most secure methods of data transfer between two locations. Email is for the most part inherently non-secure, as most users do not use protected email protocols. I should think that most business users (and the developers supporting them) would understand this.

- Regarding my comment on email limitations; in the review itself is mentioned rather clearly:
Quote:
If you have multiple email accounts on your phone, it will utilize the Outlook outbound account server first, or the first email account created. Both the Subject line and Message body are modifiable, but are limited. I couldn't see any way to access the email addresses in my Contacts list from here, so you'll have to add the recipients directly.
So... um... yeah, rather primitive. No ability to choose which email application with which to send the PDF? That seems primitive to me. What if the user's 'first' email account, the one which is apparently locked in with your application, happens to be their personal email account, something like '[email protected]'? Seriously, in such a case are they going to want to 'fax' a business communication from such an address? Or what if, on a more common theme, they wish to save the sent email in a given business account's sent mail folder, but the application is refusing to acknowledge the existence of that account? Primitive, if this is the case.

- Why is sending an image embedded in a PDF even useful? Surely conversion of a JPG as captured by the phone's camera into an image embedded in a proprietary format (PDF - lots of free readers, sure, but still not a very efficient protocol for size or for ease-of-use) is less practical, less simple, than simply sending the original JPG file (or an edited-down version if scaling is needed - and scaling for email is native to Windows Mobile without any add-on software needed). Perhaps if one's intended recipient is only able to view in PDF format... and not JPG? But really, who has a computer of any sort which cannot be used to view a JPG in umpteen ways? If nothing else, even one's browser can display them. A PDF is inherently less convenient than a JPG, or any of several other popular image formats.

My response to this program's features and limitations was triggered by my perhaps pedantic dislike of inaccuracies of language. When someone markets a 'fax' program which is, plainly, not a fax program, it bothers me. When I note further that such a product is being sold for $15, when similar functionality (at least in PDF authoring from images, whether created by the phone or not) has been available as freeware for 5 years - http://www.microarcade.net/martinicreations/jpg2pdf.htm - it seems odd, to say the least. Sure, Jpeg2Pdf lacks an email tool... but since every PPC/Windows Mobile device comes with a native email application and there are loads of third-party email applications available (my preference is for the freeware nPOPuk) this isn't really a problem. I just tested Jpeg2Pdf under WM6.5 and it works just fine, enabling authoring of single- or multi-image PDF files from JPG files captured by my phone, an HTC Touch.
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  #7  
Old 01-16-2010, 07:57 PM
antontomov
Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 20

Gerard, thanks for your comments - it's always nice to learn something new!

So far none of the several thousand users of Photocopy Mobile has complained about a possible multi email account conflict but we've taken a note and will add a feature to ask the user which account to use in case he has more than one accounts. Hope this will make our app much less primitive.

Fortunately there are many people who actively use the application and find it very useful. That's what keeps us moving forward.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerard View Post
- An actual fax transmission is rather well known to be among the most secure methods of data transfer between two locations. Email is for the most part inherently non-secure, as most users do not use protected email protocols. I should think that most business users (and the developers supporting them) would understand this.

- Regarding my comment on email limitations; in the review itself is mentioned rather clearly:

So... um... yeah, rather primitive. No ability to choose which email application with which to send the PDF? That seems primitive to me. What if the user's 'first' email account, the one which is apparently locked in with your application, happens to be their personal email account, something like '[email protected]'? Seriously, in such a case are they going to want to 'fax' a business communication from such an address? Or what if, on a more common theme, they wish to save the sent email in a given business account's sent mail folder, but the application is refusing to acknowledge the existence of that account? Primitive, if this is the case.

- Why is sending an image embedded in a PDF even useful? Surely conversion of a JPG as captured by the phone's camera into an image embedded in a proprietary format (PDF - lots of free readers, sure, but still not a very efficient protocol for size or for ease-of-use) is less practical, less simple, than simply sending the original JPG file (or an edited-down version if scaling is needed - and scaling for email is native to Windows Mobile without any add-on software needed). Perhaps if one's intended recipient is only able to view in PDF format... and not JPG? But really, who has a computer of any sort which cannot be used to view a JPG in umpteen ways? If nothing else, even one's browser can display them. A PDF is inherently less convenient than a JPG, or any of several other popular image formats.

My response to this program's features and limitations was triggered by my perhaps pedantic dislike of inaccuracies of language. When someone markets a 'fax' program which is, plainly, not a fax program, it bothers me. When I note further that such a product is being sold for $15, when similar functionality (at least in PDF authoring from images, whether created by the phone or not) has been available as freeware for 5 years - http://www.microarcade.net/martinicreations/jpg2pdf.htm - it seems odd, to say the least. Sure, Jpeg2Pdf lacks an email tool... but since every PPC/Windows Mobile device comes with a native email application and there are loads of third-party email applications available (my preference is for the freeware nPOPuk) this isn't really a problem. I just tested Jpeg2Pdf under WM6.5 and it works just fine, enabling authoring of single- or multi-image PDF files from JPG files captured by my phone, an HTC Touch.
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