Looking for some information? The best place to visit is, of course, the library! It is the books and magazines in the library that have the data. We all have borrowed books from the library at some point in time or the other. Over the years, life has changed and so has the way we store and carry data - in electronic files. However, it is unfortunate that most libraries have not kept pace with the changes. They still have a photocopier machine for general use instead of a scanner. Now, does a photocopier really provide the library goers any convenience or does it make things somewhat easier for the library? Perhaps, it’s neither.

Ok, so this bad boy pops out 3.2 pages a second and has a stand that elevates the scanner by 122mm with an 18.8 degree angle thereby generating the best scan result even when you are scanning a book with hard and bulky cover.

The 4600 comes with ImageFolio 4.5 supporting complete image-tuning functions, support for TIF, PCX, BMP, TGA, JPG, PCD, WMF, and PNG file format. Also PageManager 7.10 with instant PDF creation or conversion to Word (maintaining color and images.)

Product Page...

I think most everyone has a love/hate relationship with business cards.  They represent a quick and easy way to trade contact information, to make a good impression and to show off your style and taste.  They also are small and easy to lose, a pain to organize and convert to electronic contacts, and take up a surprising amount of space. The obvious answer is a simple method of scanning and automatically recognizing the information in the cards, and a number of companies have made hardware/software solutions.  I recently had the opportunity to try out one solution, the CardScan 800c.

Inside of the deceptively large box you’ll find a folder with the software, packaged cards for cleaning and calibrating the device, some advertising materials, a generously long USB cable, and the scanner.  The scanner itself is small enough to pack anywhere a paperback would fit or to fit on even the most cluttered desk.  It’s styled to look good on your desk; the CardScan has no buttons or switches to ruin the smooth lines, just a triangle-shaped blue light to show it’s on and to indicate where to insert cards.

Read our full review of the Cardscan Executive 800c...

I will be updating the website with news and more reviews soon.

Thanks!

Bill

The HTC Shift ushers in a new era in mobile computing as one of the first mobile computers globally to offer Microsoft Windows Vista and push email. Combining Windows Vista with always-connected 3G/HSDPA connectivity. The HTC Shift is the first device to feature HTC’s innovative new SnapVUE technology. SnapVUE provides instant access to emails, calendar, SMS messages and contacts, without the need to fully boot up the device which helps conserve power and extend battery life up to two days.

Weighing just 800g and equipped with a 7” touch sensitive ‘slide-n-tilt’ screen, the HTC Shift is the new way to work effectively on the move.Extensive range of connectivity options - 3G/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0.

In addition to its new devices, HTC has developed a range of accessories that are compatible across all HTC devices for consumer’s ease of use. These include the BHM200 (Bluetooth headset), HS U110 (3.5 mm audio adapter and headset), and the HS S200 (HTC standard stereo wired headset) to enable effective communications on the move.

The HTC Shift will be available across Europe from November.

http://www.europe.htc.com/

The folks at Laptop Mag has pulled the wraps off of thier review of the Fujitsu LifeBook U810 Tablet PC. They liked the units good screen quality and long battery life. However an awkward keyboard, low performance scores and lack of mobile broadband help to pull its rating down to a 3.5 out of 5.

“As far as UMPCs go, the U810 is a pretty strong contender, and you can’t beat the price for a unit with a usable built-in keyboard and Tablet functionality. It’s sleeker than the FlipStart, which is the only other clamshell unit on the market and costs $1,000 more but offers EV-DO. The OQO model 02 is even sleeker but costs about $300 more with integrated EV-DO. If you’ve been thinking about dipping your toe into the UMPC waters, the Fujitsu LifeBook U810 is an affordable way to do so, but some may want to wait for the mobile broadband version.”

Fujitsu says it will offer an HSDPA version in February of 2008.

http://laptopmag.com/Review/Fujitsu-LifeBook-U810-Tablet-PC.htm

Our pals over at eCoustics.com has new info on the Samsung Q1U series of UMPC’ check it out:

Introduced in May 2007, the Q1 Ultra is Samsung’s second generation UMPC. Complete with a 7” wide 300 nits ultra-bright LED backlit LCD, an integrated split-QWERTY keypad for fast text entry, and full PC compatibility, the Q1 Ultra is designed to enhance productivity, ease-of-use and portability in a range of personal and professional scenarios. With an increased battery life of up to 4.5 hours coupled with faster speeds, flexibility and mobile functionality, the Q1 Ultra product provides a compelling solution packed into an ultra small 1.5 pound package.

The Q1U-ELXP--powered by the 600MHz A100 Ultra Mobile processor and a 40GB hard disk drive--is available for an MSRP of $999.00. The Q1U-XP UMPC--powered by the 800MHz A110 Ultra Mobile processor and a 60GB hard disk drive--is available for an MSRP of $1149.00, while the Q1U-SSDXP--powered by the 800MHz A110 Ultra Mobile processor and a 32GB Flash NAND solid state drive--is available for $1649.00 MSRP.

http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/383955.html

HotHardware scoped out the new DIY home NAS. They liked the units top-notch Gig-E NAS Performance and that it can hold up to 3TB of storage capacity. It comes with great setup tools, wizards and bundled software utlities. However it’s not without faults, the Cube Station CS407 does not feature hot-swap drives and is expensive for the build quality.

Here is a clip:

End user demand for storage capacity is expanding exponentially year after year, as multimedia content, email, and document and file generation show explosive growth in this age of new media.  In addition, protecting that data is becoming increasingly more critical, with investments in digital music and video collections, as well as those all important family photos and business-critical documents in both the Consumer and SOHO markets.  As such we’ve been looking at an array of NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices here at HotHardware over the past few months, many of them designed for do-it-yourself end users.

In the following pages we’re going to take a look at the Synology CubeStation CS407 NAS Server.  This system comes configured “bare-bones”, ready for installation of up to four SATA hard disks with RAID 0,1 and 5 capabilities. With a max total capacity of up to three terabytes of storage, this unit ought to handle plenty of those cute baby-covered-in-mashed-green-peas shots that the family holds near and dear to their hearts.  And with this type of multi-drive product, you can “RAID it up” and rest easy, knowing your backside is covered with at least some level of data storage redundancy.

http://www.hothardware.com/articles/Synology_Cube_Station_CS407__DIY_Network_Attached_Storage/?page=1

Digital Trends takes a look at the GlobalSat DG-100 GPS data logger. They found it to be an affordable GPS tracking solution, very easy to use and user configurable. However not all was roses as the software was slightly ugly, the unit lacks Bluetooth and is Windows only at this time.

There is the into:

Now that GPS and satellite networks are so common and inexpensive to utilize on a consumer level, GPS tracking (a.k.a. geotracking or geocaching) has become a mainstream hobby for millions of geeks and traveling photographers worldwide. There are countless commercial applications for GPS data logging, from tracking truck drivers and cargo to mapping highly accurate traffic patterns, locations of accidents, and more. GlobalSat maintains a vast satellite network to communicate with its GPS tracking devices like the Data Logger DG-100, a $90 USD gadget. We studied the DG-100 and took it on the road (and in the air) to get a good feel for how it performs. Continue reading to see the results of our tests.

http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review4707.html

Flash Padlock features “Auto-Locking,” so you don’t need to remember to enable the protective feature - It will automatically lock and protect itself after removal from the computer.  Flash Padlock is impervious to “brute force” hacks or keystroke loggers that would defeat a software secured USB flash drive. 

Padlock Security Features Include:

- Hardware-Enabled Auto-Lock Function:  Device Auto-Locks after removal from computer.
- User Customizable Security PIN:  User sets unique security PIN (up to 10 digits long) for unlocking device. 
- Platform Independent:  Works on Windows, MAC and Linux platforms without the use of additional software.
- Easy to Use:  Direct keypad access and indicator lights make locking/unlocking simple and understandable.

Flash Padlock is immediately available in two capacities:

- Flash Padlock 1GB ~ $29.99 USD MSRP
- Flash Padlock 2GB ~ $39.99 USD MSRP

http://www.corsair.com/products/padlock.aspx

NewerTech drops the miniStack NAS utilizing its own brand of advanced network storage technology to enable direct storage and access by up to 20 users simultaneously with up to 6 times faster performance (their words) than older PC file sharing-based technologies. The miniNAS has both USB 2.0 and Ethernet connections, offering storage capacities up to 750GB, the ability to stream multimedia and HD files to UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) compatible media players, and easy set-up. Additionally the miniNAS has user-selectable levels of read/write privileges, from no access, read only, or full access.

miniStack NAS Applications:

-Home network file sharing/storage, backup/archiving, and other shared external drive access needs.
-Small business as a primary or secondary network storage solution.
-Public office/facility (libraries, villages, etc.) backup, archiving and conservation of data.
-Multimedia storage device (MP3s, digital photos, digital video).

miniStack NAS is available in seven pre-configured 7200RPM solutions, from 80GB to 750GB, priced starting at $119.99 MSRP.  A 0GB “Add Your Own Drive” kit is also available for $79.99 MSRP. All pre-configured and certain OGB kit miniStack NAS models include a $200 retail value utility software bundle comprised of ProSoft Engineering Data Backup 3, NovaStor NovaBACKUP, and Intech SpeedTools Utilities.

http://www.newertech.com/products/ministackNAS.php

Paper scanners are great peripherals for the modern computer.  They let us bring papers, documents, and photos from the real, physical world into the virtual, digital one.  However they are usually big, bulky devices that require a lot of space or, in the case of most portable models, time to set up.  And the typical scanner still needs a computer or notebook to operate.  So what if you could have a portable scanner that did not need a computer, could be easily carried anywhere, and can make a scan of any document, photo, magazine, or book.  Well now you can with the Planon DocuPen RC800.

The RC800 is a full color, 24-bit scanner in a compact, lightweight form that provides a convenient way to scan full page documents on-the-go.  With the included 128 MB memory card, the RC800 can store many pages into memory with each page only taking a few seconds to scan.  Using the on-board controls, you can select B&W/Color/24-Bit Color and 100 / 400 dpi resolution. 

Read our full review of the Planon DocuPen Portable Color Scanner

Trimble introduced today the Nomad series of handheld computers. The Nomad comes standard with an 806 MHz processor, 128 MB of memory and integrated Bluetooth technology. In addition, a range of optional configurations are available including an integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a bar code scanner, a digital camera, and 802.11g (WiFi).

Integrated GPS gives users location data for navigation. Users can also collect bar code information with the Nomad’s integrated laser scanner as well as capture color images for inspections and maintenance with the 2-megapixel digital camera. Plus, users can take advantage of the Nomad’s CompactFlash (CF) and Secure Digital (SDIO) slots to add more devices such as memory and RFID.

The Nomad handheld computer is equipped with a 5200 mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery, up to 1 GB of Flash memory and a daylight-visible VGA touch screen display. The battery provides users with 15 hours or more of active use without a recharge. The Nomad’s VGA display is sharp and clear in sunlight, presenting maps and other graphic-intensive files in better detail than a typical QVGA display. It also comes with Windows Mobile 6.

http://www.trimble.com/ps_nomad.shtml

From ars tecnhica:

The Zune may not be the most popular portable media player, but you wouldn’t know it based on the game of cat and mouse that has been going on for nearly a year between Microsoft and “hackers” who have continually found ways to defeat Microsoft’s DRM.

The release of the update was first announced on the Doom9 forums, where user ‘Divine Tao’ indicated that he found a way to update FairUse4WM to support new keys (v1.3 Fix2). It would appear as though ‘Divine Tao’ is not working with the same hacker(s) who broke the Windows Media DRM code last summer, as the user says that access to the FairUse4WM source code is not possible for him or her. (’Divine Tao’ is an anagram of ‘viodentia,’ however, which is suspicious.)

Continue reading on ars technica...

Made specifically for the 30G, 60G and 80G Apple iPod with video, this myvu system provides iPod lovers an unsurpassed personal experience in portable video watching and that oh so cool cyborg look...LeVar Burton (a.k.a. Geordi Laforge) only wished he could have looked this cool. Anyway they feature:

In-ear noise-reducing earbuds
Pendant for picture and audio controls
Microfiber protective sleeve and lens cloth

Best of all, the expected list price for the Myvu Solo is $199.95, making it one of the least expensive devices of its kind.

The myvu universal is also on its way; simply connect myvu to your mp4 player, laptop, DVD player or camera, sit back and watch all of your favorite videos come to life on myvu’s large virtual screen. No date listed or price, however I suspect it will be about the same price as the Solo.

http://www.myvu.com/Products/ipod_solo/
http://www.myvu.com/Products/universal/

(Via: mobiletechreview)

The review: iPhone review (plus bonus: one liners)

Features
iPhone and iPod accessories: what works, what doesn’t
Switched On: Comparing Apples and Blackberrys (Part 1)
iPhone doesn’t work with most 3rd party headphones
iPhone: pottymouth friendly
The definitive iPhone user interface gallery
We’ve got iPhones, what do you want to know? (aka the FAQ)
iPhone first hands-on and unboxing
iPhone multi-city lineblog
iPhone facts from the first reviews
How does the iPhone stack up in total cost?
Fake iPhones: a retrospective

Video
HD video: iPhone interface complete walkthrough
HD video: iPhone on-screen effects
iPhone first hands-on video in HD!
Video: interview with Steve Wozniak!

News
iPhone processor found: 620MHz ARM CPU
iPhone firmware hits the internets—let the hacking begin!
Teardown reveals iPhone parts cost two bills
iPhone not supported under 64-bit Windows XP or Vista—oops

Hacking
DVD Jon whips up a way to activate iPhone without AT&T
iPhone hackers turn up a few vulnerabilities
iPhone firmware hits the internets—let the hacking begin!