how old is your handheld?

The clunky single-function bar-code scanners of yesteryear have given way to sleek multifunctional devices, but they haven't disappeared from the scene entirely. Some of those dinosaurs are still in service after more than a decade of use. If you still have one of those old scanners around, you might want to enter it in a contest sponsored by Ryzex, a mobile technology company that sells, repairs, and maintains automated data collection devices.

The "Big Upgrade" competition aims to identify the world's oldest working bar-code data collection device. "Although a data management device may appear ancient, with ongoing support many [users] have been able to keep their equipment on 'life support' way past their warranty, and we're excited to uncover these with the 'Big Upgrade' contest," said Chris Glennon, Ryzex's vice president of sales and marketing, in an announcement.

The winner will receive a new handheld computer from Psion Teklogix, a manufacturer of rugged mobile computing devices, to replace the old legacy unit. Contest entrants must provide contact and device information, including a photo of the legacy equipment in action. Additional details are available at www.bigupgrade.com.

The deadline for contest submissions is Sept. 22, 2009.