Mobile scanner

This is a device that can read text or illustrations printed on paper and translate the information into a form the computer can use. A scanner works by digitizing an image and dividing it into a grid of boxes. Each box is represented by either a zero or a one, depending on whether the box is filled in. (For color and gray scaling, the same principle applies, but each box is then represented by up to 24 bits.) The resulting matrix of bits, called a bit map, can then be stored in a file, displayed on a screen, and manipulated by programs.

There are currently smaller, handheld optical scanners on the market. Jack Bauer uses a flatbed scanner in his car, which works like a copy machine.

- From Fox's Official 24 Website