Scantron has announced the iNSIGHT 20 which is a compact desktop scanner that offers the dual benefits of document imaging technology and accurate optical mark recognition. The company has positioned the scanner for industry use such as testing, surveys, attendance, patient encounter, grading, student portfolios, personnel records, archiving, and general back file conversions.

Scantron can scan grayscale images and store them digitally with the help of the ScanTools Plus software. The scanner can read fine machine print and hand-print, matter that human eyes would find difficult to read. It can read data in the form of bubbles, check marks, tick marks. It can also read bar codes. When set to the document imaging mode the scanner is capable of scanning up to 1,800 two-sided black & white, grayscale and color images at 200 dpi every hour. You can process sheets of different sizes and thicknesses in a single batch. The scanner also lets you name and archive image clips.

Document imaging output resolution ranges from 75 to 1200 dpi.

The Holux M-1000C Bluetooth GPS logger is a single-button GPS device. It has only the solitary power button. The configuration is done via the Holux ezTour software which also lets you upload your pictures to Flickr. The device can be configured to work in four modes – car, bicycle, hiking, and running mode.

The M-1000C features built-in MTK MT3329 low power consumption GPS chipset and 66 parallel satellite-tracking channels. The Li-ion battery is rechargeable and changeable and can last 20 hours. The M-1000C is a handy device measuring 62.5 mm x 41 mm x 17.1 mm and weighs less than 53 grams.

You can view your journey in the built-in Google Maps window. With the help of the Google Earth Plug-In you can view your voyage & pictures on Google Earth. The device features a built-in WAAS/EGNOS demodulator without additional hardware and is compatible with Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP)

At a mere 3.0 lbs the Panasonic ToughBook W8 is being billed as a rugged and portable laptop for mobile professionals. Features that contribute to its durability include a shock-mounted 120GB hard drive and a spill-resistant keyboard. The W8 runs on the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SU9300. It has 3GB of memory and Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics.

The 12.1-inch TFT active matrix color LCD touchscreen offers external video support for up to 1920 x 1200 pixels and supports 16.7 million colors. The Li-ion battery pack supports seven hours of operation. The W8 has an 83-keypad keyboard and an electrostatic touchpad with circular scrolling.

Connectivity is through draft-n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and optional embedded Gobi 3G global mobile Internet.

The W8 will be available from November onwards starting at $2099.

LG has introduced its first smartphone to run on the Symbian platform – the LG KT770. The phone runs on Symbian S60 3rd Edition. LG had the choice to develop the phone with latest Symbian S60 platform, the 5th Edition. Nokia N97 and Samsung i8910 are two smartphones running on the latest Symbian S60 platform.

The KT770 is a sliderphone with a 2.8 inch TFT display with 240 x 400 pixels and 256K colors. The phone fits in several features in its compact dimensions of 111mm x 51.5mm x 15.8mm. These include a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with face detection and smile detection, quad band GSM/EDGE connectivity, dual band UMTS/HSDPA connectivity, A-GPS, a full internet browser, a bundled Facebook application, 1GB / 2GB of internal memory, microSD card support for up to 16GB, etc.

The LG KT770 enables viewing of .doc, .xl, and .pdf documents. Email supports IMAP, POP3, and SMTP, a multimedia player for MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, and Mpeg4.

As of now there are no details on pricing and the exact release date.

The Evolve wireless music speakers are ideal for those who wish to carry their music with them anywhere in the house. The speakers can play for 10 hours once the Li-Ion batteries are charged . The base on which the speakers are placed for charging has an integrated iPod dock. The speakers are also compatible with CD, MP3 players, mini-disc players, TVs, stereo receivers equipped with Aux Audio inputs.

The speakers have a range of 150 feet which means that you can place them virtually anywhere in the house and even in the garden. Move the base station close to a wall-socket, use an extension cord, and increase its range. An RF remote control can manage both the speakers and the iPod.

The Toshiba Satellite A350-ST3601 is the latest notebook in the A350 series. It runs on the Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor, has 4GB of RAM, an integrated GMA 4500MHD video chipset and 400GB hard drive. The A350-ST3601 supports WiFi 802.11n connectivity. It is priced at $749.

The 16-inch TruBrite TFT active-matrix LCD supports 720p content, 1366 x 768 resolution. The machine uses Windows Vista Home Premium OS. This A350 model weighs in at 6.5 pounds. It has a 6-cell Li-Ion battery.

Apart from an 86-key US keyboard, other input devices include TouchPad pointing device, mute button, media button, and CD/DVD buttons. The notebook has three USB 2.0 ports and one 5-in-1 bridge media adapter. The webcam and microphone are built into LCD bezel. The A350-ST3601 sports Harman/Kardon stereo speakers.

Philips has expanded its GoGear line of MP3 players with the introduction of the GoGear Ariaz and GoGear Opus. Ariaz sports a 2-inch screen, FM radio and support for MP3/WMA audio and MPEG-4 video.

The Ariaz offers high quality audio courtesy Philips’ FullSound audio engine. The noise-reducing head phones further add to the listening experience. Navigation is through touch-sensitive buttons and a rocker switch for quick scrolling through long playlists. The Ariaz will be available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB storage levels and cost $100, $126 and $164, respectively.

The Opus has a 2.8-inch screen, a directional pad and supports Bluetooth which makes it a good choice for wireless headphones. Other features are same as those with the Ariaz. Storage capacities are 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB and costs are $126, $189, and $228. You can download videos to Opus from the BBC iPlayer TV replay service.

Gateway has introduced two laptops as a part of its new TC series. The two 14-inch laptops are TC7306u And TC7307u. Both monitors have an Ultrabright backlit HD widescreen LED display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Both models weigh 5.3-pounds each.

Hardware features include 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor coupled with Intel GMA 4500M graphic and 4GB dual channel DDR2 memory. Both models come with a 1.3-megapixel webcam and an 8X Multi-Format Dual Layer DVDRW w/ DVD-RAM drive. Wi-Fi, gigabit Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports, multicard reader, integrated microphone, and a 6-cell Li-ion battery are other common points. The TC7306u is available in black and the TC7307u is available in burugundy at $649.99 each.

Operating system used is Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium.

BenQ has announced the nScreen i91 all-in-one PC. The i91 has an 18-inch LCD screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and is set for a March or April debut in Japan and Australia and will retail for around $517. The machine runs on an AMD Sempron 210U processor, has 1GB RAM and 160GB HDD.

The i91 supports HD playback, 1.3 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, 4-in-1 card reader. The nScreen i91 has a virtual magnifier function that makes reading easier for senior citizens. The senior mode lowers high audio frequencies to improve sound clarity. Upgrading the computer is easy, hard drives and memory can be added simply by opening the back cover that is not screwed on.

Instant photo-sharing and a VoIP videophone are neat multimedia features. An average power consumption of 30W is 80% less than what corresponding desktops use.

Ricoh has announced its new aim and shoot compact digital camera – the CX1. It features a 7.1x optical wide-angle zoom lens. The Dynamic Range Double Shot mode captures two images with different exposure rates and combines the best of the two for a high-quality composite picture.

You can also take seven shots of the same scene with each shot having a separate focus. You can then choose the one you wish to keep or use Photoshop and get all the best-focused elements in a single pic. The CX1 can segment white balance in a single picture based on difference in amount of light from a light source for different parts of an image. The Ricoh CX1 compact digital camera has a large 3.0-inch 920,000-dot VGA monitor.

The new image processing engine Smooth Imaging Engine IV enables greater image resolution and noise reduction. Videos can be captured at 120fps so if you are a slow-mo addict then this is a neat feature for you. The macro feature lets you get as close as 1 cm to the object for a wide-angle photo and 25 cm for a telephoto.

The camera is scheduled for a mid-March release for around 299 Pounds.

The GlobeSurfer X-1 from Option is a wireless router. When connected to a USB modem, the unit becomes a Wi-Fi internet hotspot. The X-1 does not require any installation software, a built-in browser GUI lets you access the features via any internet browser.

The GlobeSurfer X-1 works as a router and lets you establish a LAN so that you can have Wi-Fi access to devices and surf any 3G data network. Two ethernet ports on the rear side of the device enable connectivity for clients without Wi-Fi. It also has two file- and printer-server compatible USB ports.

When a USB 3G/HSPA modem into Globesurfer X-1 you get an internet-connected Wi-Fi network.

The X-1 offers portability and ease of use anywhere not only because it is pocket-sized with the length of 10 cm and depth of 4 cm but also because it is “unlocked”. It will work with any USB modem purchased from anywhere.

The router is 802.11n compatible and several times faster than a 802.11g router. It offers real-life transfer rates of 160 Mbps or more.

The Canon CanoScan LiDE 700F is a scanner that offers 9600x9600dpi optical resolution for film. It can be used for scanning documents, photos and 35mm film. It has a 3-way design for rapid scanning in portrait, landscape, and upright positions. The printer design makes it ideal for cramped spaces. The resolution offered is the highest for any Canon printer till date.

The CanoScan offers a maximum photo resolution of 4800dpi. A clip-on film scanning unit enables high quality scanning of 35mm film frames at 9600dpi. The LiDE technology enables efficiency with quick warm-up times and high productivity. An A4 full color scan at 300dpi takes place in 12 seconds.

The CanoScan is USB-powered from a PC which means there is no power cabling required. The CanoScan 700F offers single-touch scanning, copying, email, and PDF generation. The Auto Scan Mode detects material as either text or image and the settings are automatically optimized. The material is then scanned and saved in PDF or JPG format.

The CanoScan QARE technology removes dust, grain and scratch effect from images. It also restores faded color. The MP Navigator EX software installed in the scanner enables PDF editing, search functionality, OCR in more than 15 languages and Auto Photo Fix.

Canon has introduced a waterproof compact digital camera – the 12.1 megapixel PowerShot D10 with 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom. The D10 targets a clientele with a sporty lifestyle and the camera promises take-anywhere operability. The camera operates at depths up to 10 meters and can withstand shocks from drops of 1.22m. It has a dustproof IEC/JIS IP Protection Rating IPX6 equivalent and will function at temperatures as low as -10 degree C.

The patented DIGIC 4 processor enables detailed images and the Scene Detection technology used with the Smart Auto mode helps take good shots quickly. The PowerShot D10 is compatible with a range of accessories.

The protection also extends to the 2.5-inch PureColor LCD II which has a 2mm protective shield.

Shooting people and animate objects is facilitated with Face Detection Technology, Face Select & Track and Blink Detection. You can shoot video at 30fps with a maximum clip length of one hour or 4GB capacity. You get the usual shooting modes with the D10 along with some unique ones such as aquarium, foliage, and snow.

You can print directly from the camera with the help of a dedicated print menu. The printer should be compatible with PictBridge.

The LG GD900 is a see through phone. Touted as a first by the company, this unique concept phone has been unveiled at the MWC in Barcelona. Well, it’s not a totally transparent phone and the screen is opaque. It’s the glow-in-the-dark keyboard that is transparent and the keys are etched on the surface.

There is not information in the company press release on phone specs. Maybe LG wants to focus attention on the unconventional appeal of this slider phone. What we do know is that the LG GD900 has a 13.4mm-thick body, 7.2Mbps HSDPA connectivity, and a camera in the front for video calls. Most information till now is based on visual observation rather than tactile experience. The phone has a silver-gray body.

The LG GD900 is due for a May release.

The new Shuttle SDXi water-cooled carbon computer chassis is a small form factor (SFF) chassis which the company says is the world’s smallest watercooled SFF system. Hardware statistics include Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3GHz processor, 2GB DDR2 800MHz memory, NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 512MB graphics card, Windows Vista Home Premium, 250GB HDD, DVD burner, Logitech Internet 350 keyboard and integrated 7.1 audio. All this for an expensive $2,599.

Its water-cooling feature uses Liquid I.C.E. technology which facilitates efficient cooling. Since the cooling technology, case, and motherboard are designed in-house the company has been able to create a thermal efficient system. the system is also capable of working noiselessly even when the processor is fully loaded. A premium automotive level finish is a nice custom finish touch to this unique system.

The new Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP is an aim and shoot camera with a difference. At just 20 mm, the Z33WP is very slim but it does not compromise on features. The 10-megapixel camera can work at depths of up to 10 feet. The 2.7-inch LCD screen has a 230k dot resolution and a Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens.

Obviously the “waterproof” feature is a nice addition as it will allow users to take snaps on the beach, in the rain, underwater, etc. A single charge of the Li-ion battery allows for 200 shots at a time.

The camera can recognize six scene types and automatically adjust shutter speed, focus, white balance and other aspects. Picture Stabilization technology minimizes camera shake allowing for steady and real-life images.

The Finepix Z33WP enables easy sharing of pics online with its Blog Mode. In this mode the images are automatically resized to 640×480 pixels (VGA) or 320×240 pixels (QVGA). In-camera editing means that you can zoom, cut, crop, paint images on the camera itself.

A single button movie capture lets you take VGA quality video images at 30fps. With its Face Detection technology, the camera can identify up to ten faces and set the correct focus and exposure for the best shot.

The Finepix Z33WP will retail for $199.95 from late March onwards.

The new Philips SHB 7110 Tapster Bluetooth stereo headset offers touch and gesture controls that allow you to adjust the volume and pick up phone calls by touching or tapping the speaker surface. Freedom from small difficult to locate controls is a neat plus with the Philips Tapster.

The Philips Tapster makes use of the FullSound algorithm running on a chip inside the headset. The algorithm restores the original music details and dynamics that can be lost during recording digital music. An Angled Acoustics design eliminates ambient noise so that music clarity is high even at low volumes. EverClear technology digitally filters noise during phone calls.

The headset works with both Bluetooth profiles – HSP (Handset Profile) and HFP (Handsfree Profile). The Tapster can receive stereo music from any Bluetooth device that complies with the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile. Thus any MP3 player, PC, mobile phone that is A2DP compliant can be used with the Tapster.

Wireless call management features include call acceptance, rejection, voice dial and redial. The Tapster supports a music playtime and talktime of seven hours each and a standby time of 150 hours.

Fujifilm has introduced two new cameras – the FinePix J250 and FinePix J20. Both models are sleek with aluminum brushed body. Both models are 10-megapixel compact digicams and feature automatic scene recognition, face detection and image stabilization technology for eliminating blurs from camera shake and moving subjects.

The J250 has a 3.0-inch large, bright LCD monitor of 230,000-dots resolution. The 10 megapixel 28mm wide angle lens offers a 5x zoom. Apart from the regular portrait, scenery, auto shooting modes the camera also offers a baby mode that is best suited for clicking snaps of little ones. The camera has a shutter speed of 1/4 sec. to 1/2000 sec in auto mode and 8 sec. to 1/2000 sec. in other modes. The J250 will be available from March for $199.95

The J20 features a 2.7-inch LCD and has a 28mm wide angle lens that offers a 3x optical zoom. The zoom is not much but adequate to take clear wide-angle and close-up shots. A good camera for beginners to understand the basics of photography. The J20 is only 17.4mm thin and offers easy portability. The J20 will be available this month for $129.95.

The Nokia N86 mobile phone has been unveiled not at the Mobile World Congress but in a launch party in Singapore. The N86 is an 8-megapixel camera phone with wide-angle Carl Zeiss optics. The camera shutter can snap shut in 1/1000th of a second. The camera features dual LED flash for low light image capture, digital image stabilization, and 30fps video recording.

The N86 is a slider phone with a 2.6-inch QVGA, OLED screen with 240 x 320 pixels resolution and support for 16 million colors. The phone has an impressive 8GB of internal flash memory plus microUSB and 16GB microSD support for external memory. A-GPS and digital compass along with voice-guided car navigation allow you to plan your car journey and save time.

The N86 uses a 1200Mah BL 5K battery which allows for 25 hours of music playback or up to seven hours of video. This Bluetooth-enabled phone has WiFi 802.11b/g support for internet connectivity. It also supports tri-band 3G HSDPA/HSUPA networks. The N86 will be available in the second quarter 2009 for approximately Euro 375. Detailed specs here.

Samsung has introduced two mobiles phones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. These are the UltraB S7220 in candybar form and the ultra-slim UltraS S7350 with slider form factor. Both models are GPS-enabled.

The Samsung UltraS S7350 has a 2.6-inch WQVGA display with 240 x 400 pixels resolution. It supports 16 million colors. The phone also features a 5-megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth, microSD card slot and HSDPA support. The UltraS has the following dimensions – 109 x 50.5 x 12.6 mm.

The Samsung UltraB S7220 has a width of only 11.8 millimeters. It has a 2.2-inch QVGA display with 240 x 320 pixels resolution and uses AMOLED technology. The UltraB S7220 supports up to 262 thousand colors. It also has a 5-megapixel camera and HSDPA plus Bluetooth support. The UltraB has the following dimensions – 114 x 46.3 x 11.8 mm.

The cameras in both phones have a Smile Shot and auto focus features.

The UltraS S7350 will be available in the first quarter and cost $448. The UltraB S7220 will also be available around the same time and cost $576.

In January Samsung had unveiled the W7900 projector phone. The W7900 can display video on a 50-inch screen courtesy a Texas Instruments DLP Pico chipset in the phone. The W7900 features a 5.0 megapixel camera front-facing camera for video calls and an OS that supports widgets.

The DLP projector has a 480 x 320 resolution and can be controlled from the 3.2-inch 400 x 240 OLED touchscreen. So basically with this phone you can share PowerPoint slides, view images, and watch videos. The phone comes equipped with built-in speakers. The projector projects on any flat smooth surface giving you the opportunity to enjoy a novel multimedia experience. The projector light can also be used as a flashlight. Samsung is promoting the feature as a neat tool for instantaneous media sharing that expands the scope of using the mobile as a tool for business presentations.

The W7900 supports 3G HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps and global roaming (900/1800/1900 MHz).

The W7900 is set to be released in Korea this month followed by a European release where it will be sold as model I7410 but apparently without the projector. As of now no pricing details are available.

The BT Business Total Broadband hub offers free public Wi-Fi hotspots to its business customers. Businesses can thus provide their customers with free Wi-Fi or sell BT Openzone vouchers for accessing Wi-Fi.

The offer is ideal for businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and dentists. The new BT Business Total Broadband hubs come with the hotspot automatically enabled. Owner and guest SSIDs are always listed separately for security purposes. Users can access emails, browse the web and make VoIP calls over a separate and secure internet channel.

Free BT Openzone minutes are provided to BT consumer Total Broadband members of the BT FON community and BT Business customers with a mobile broadband service.

As of now 20,000 existing customers in the U.K have received firmware allowing them to add the hotspot in the BT Business hubs.

The D-Link DCS-2121 wireless internet camera meant for surveillance of your home or small office. The camera contains a built-in CPU and web-server and is a self-contained unit that can be accessed remotely. It can be controlled over a LAN or via the internet and offers remote monitoring and motion detection features.

The camera is easy to install and the intuitive web-based interface that allows easy integration with 10Mbps or 100Mbps Ethernet or 802.11g wireless network. The DCS-2121 comes with a Site Survey feature that lets you connect to wireless networks in the vicinity.

The snapshot and recording feature lets you instantly record images, audio and video from the web browser on to a hard drive. This means you can capture footage fast from remote locations. You can also store data directly on to a LAN without having to route it through a PC.

The D-ViewCam 2.0 IP camera surveillance software lets you manage 32 IP cameras and is compatible with all D-Link IP cameras. This surveillance software offers features such as video recording and playback, Video mode, Map mode, Wizard mode, Expert mode, Event Action, etc.

Other features include full duplex 2-way audio that lets you listen and talk at the same time. Dual mode recording in MJPEG and MPEG-4 streams lets you optimize both image quality and bandwidth frequency.

The LG KP500 Cookie is a high-end full screen touch phone. A 3-inch touchscreen and a 3 megapixel camera with 2048×1536 pixels resolution add to the multimedia experience. An active flash user interface allows easy access to menus. The phone’s dimensions are 106.5mm x 55.4mm x 11.9mm and it weighs 87 grams. The 256K TFT touchscreen offers 240 x 400 pixels resolution.

The LG KP500 is Bluetooth-enabled, supports GPRS and EDGE but no HSCD, 3G and infrared port. The phone has a USB 2.0 port apart from 48 MB internal memory and it supports SMS, EMS, MMS, and email. You can view .doc, .xls, and PDF documents on the screen.

A smart handwriting recognition function lets you write messages without using the keyboard, in the photo mode you can actually edit photos using the stylus. The QWERTY screen slides into view when the handset is held in a horizontal position. An auto rotating display lets you view the documents with ease regardless of the angle at which the phone is held.

The LG KP500 offers a 3.5-hour talk-time and 350 hours on standby.

The new Touch URC 8603 from XSight is a universal remote control designed to make all other remotes in your house redundant. It’s a handy device that can let you manage an impressive eighteen devices and costs a little less than $200.

The URC 8603 is an amazingly intelligent device. All you need to do is to tell it about the devices you want it to control and the URC 8603 will do the rest. It has a 2.2 inch color touch screen and programmable macros that let you access movies at the touch of a single button. Logos on the touchscreen activate the channel when you touch the logo. The URC 8603 makes use of a web-based programming tool – the EZRC. With the EZRC you can create your own profiles and segregate channels and devices to be activated under your own profile.The remote supports up to six profiles.

The remote control software can be upgraded via a USB so you can add new features such as new languages and graphics to the remote as and when available.

The URC 8603 -
* Device support: 18 devices
* Display: Colour touchscreen: 2.2 inch
* Infra-Red
* Set-Up: On remote setup, EZ-RC Setup via Internet
* Screen Keys
* Keypad Backlighting
* LCD Clock
* User Interface
* Slide Bar
* Li-Ion battery
* Charging cradle

RipNAS offers a combination of audio CD ripping, NAS, and media streaming in one box. This easy to use device does not need a computer to run. You can rip and store audio CDs through multi-drive mirroring and then share them over devices attached to the storage. The RipNAS uses Windows Home Server as the OS of choice.

RipNAS basically offers one-step CD ripping. You insert the audio CD and it is ripped with the help of the dBpoweramp ripping engine to a lossless audio format of your choice. It takes between 3-4 minutes to rip a CD. RipNAS checks the tracks using AccurateRip and re-rips the tracks if there are any errors in them. Tracks with errors in them are stored in a separate folder.

You can back your Windows PCs automatically to RipNAS every night. This allows you a secure backup that lets you restore files or even your entire system. RipNAS integrates nicely into the Windows Home Server and you can edit status and settings from PCs on the network.

RipNAS is available in the following storage sizes – 320GB, 640GB and 1TB. Just for perspective, 320GB lets you store around 10,000 tracks.

Novatel Wireless has introduced the Ovation MC995D USB Modem. It is a high-speed USB data modem that can find use by both consumer and enterprise users. The Ovation MC995D relies on leading HSPA cellular data networks for connectivity.

AS of now this global modem is optimized only for Europe where it will be available in Q2 2009. There is no information on pricing as yet. The USB modem using HSPA, EDGE, and GPRS networks is a good idea as it frees you from your dependence on Wi-Fi hotspots. Company promotional material states that the Ovation MC995D USB Modem can provide download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5.76Mbps. This does sound like great speed. One doesn’t know how different the test conditions were from real-life ones. So the claim needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

The MC995D USB modem is a streamlined device that meets FCC SAR requirements and features a proprietary swivel locking mechanism. You can use it to stay connected, browse the net, download content, check email, etc. The modem can handle microSD cards of up to 32Gb capacity.

The D-Link Powerline DHP-303 Ethernet plug makes use of the existing electrical cabling in our homes to bring internet connectivity to us. This system does away with the investment and effort required for cabling when creating a LAN at home.

So even without having to create a wired LAN or introducing Wi-Fi, you get a home network in which you can use power outlets in the house for connecting digital media devices as well as network storage devices. The D-Link Powerline DHP-303 can deliver data speeds of up to 200Mbps. The high data transfer rates mean that the DHP-303 can support bandwidth intensive applications such as VoIP phones, hi-def video streaming and online gaming devices.

The D-Link prioritizes internet traffic which means that web surfing and file downloads will not suffer because of other multimedia applications on the LAN. You can add multiple devices to the LAN by connecting a switch or a wireless access point to the D-Link adaptor that can be plugged into any wall outlet directly without the need for cables.

The adaptor goes into sleep mode to conserve power if it detects that no data transfer has taking place over a period of time. Data transferred using the DHP-303 is protected as the plug uses 3DES encryption.

The D-link DP-303 is a device that lets you share a printer over a LAN. The device is essentially a print server that has three bi-directional ports and an RJ-45 Ethernet port via which the DP-303 connects to a LAN.

The D-Link DP-303 is a good choice for SMBs that wish to add a printer to their LAN. Three ports mean you can add three printers to the LAN and execute simultaneous printing operations because of the DMA channel support present with the D-Link DP-303. The DP-303 also works well in mixed-LAN environments since it comes with multi-protocol support. The print server is installed and set up using PS Admin which is a Windows-based program. The server can automatically detect the ideal connection speed for a LAN so manual settings are not required. Network IP addresses are obtained through DHCP, BOOTP, and RARP.

The printer works with Windows 3x, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT. It supports the HP PJL protocol which enables the printer server to gather print status information while the printer is working. An administrator can remotely configure and manage the server on Telnet.

Fujitsu has launched an e-reader with a color screen, a technological first for this device. A Kindle competitor in the making if it ever sees the light of day. For now the Fujitsu ebook is being tested in one Tokyo restaurant – the Termina Kinshicho Fujiya restaurant which has a dedicated “BB Mobile Point” wireless LAN so that readers can access online content that includes train timetables and weather reports as well.

The Fujitsu e-reader uses the company’s patented FLEPia technology. It scores over Kindle not only because Kindle is greyscale and the Fujitsu ebook has a color display but also in terms of size. Apparently the Fujitsu ereader will be available in two sizes – A5 and A4, weighing 480 grams and 320 grams, respectively. The Fujitsu e-reader will be approximately around 12mm thick. A single 4GB SD flash card will give you enough magazines to keep you busy reading for two years. One recharge can keep the reader going for 50 hours. The device features built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and a USB 2.0 port. There are six buttons and a scroll key for maneuvering your way around the magazine pages. Since the Fujitsu ereader has a touchscreen, it has done away with the keyboard. Stereo speakers enhance the audio experience and runs on the Windows CE5 operating system.

However, clear color images and anytime information does not come cheap. The Fujitsu reader is slated to cost around $900. The Amazon Kindle costs a mere $360. The Fujitsu ereader will be available in white pearl, silver, and pink pearl colors.

The new VIA NSR7800 8-bay 2U rackmount storage server is an energy efficient storage solution that uses 50% less power than comparable solutions. The NSR7800 uses eight 3.5″ hard drive bays with a 2U form factor for improved performance.

A 1.5GHz VIA C7 processor runs the server and is ideal for use as email, file and web server. These applications require less power, less heat is generated and consequently cooling requirements are less. The server features a bootable compact Flash Type I socket for embedded OS installations and a dual gigabit LAN for speedy data transfers. Lockable front levers allow easy access and secure installation of hard drives.

Anti-virus modules and add-in cards such as hardware VPN can be added via a mini-PCI port. LEDs indicate hard drive activity, network activity, and power status. Server compatibility extends to Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2007, Windows Home Server and Linux.

The NSR7800 can support upto 16TB storage capacity via two separate S-ATA controllers. The 16TB capacity is divided amongst the eight 3.5-inch hard drive bays. The S-ATA II ports have hot-swap hardware support.

The NSR7800 server is a good choice for businesses looking to reduce their power consumption, carbon footprints, and come across as environmentally-sensitive organizations.

The Film 2 SD Negative Scanner is a compact handy device that lets you scan, view, and save your precious old 35mm negatives and slides in a digital format. A nice concept that lets you convert images without a computer and scanner. The scanner lets you scan color, black and white slides and negatives.

The scanner has a built-in LCD screen lets you view the digital image. The five megapixel scanner is activated with a single touch and lets you see the scanned image in one-two seconds. Mirror, flip, and rotate the images to get a different perspective on how you looked “back then”. Once scanned and saved you can just transfer the card to your mobile, digital photo frame, or TV equipped with digital card reader or you can transfer the images to your PC via a USB.

A 1GB SD card that comes with the scanner lets you store around 700 pics of 5 megapixel resolution. The scanner can support Micro SD and SDHC cards of up to 8GB. The dimensions of the scanner are 26.5cm x 15cm x 7.5cm.

The 2 SD Negative Scanner costs 119.95 Pounds and makes a neat gift to anyone who has a lot of negatives to process.

The Mvix DS-100 is a multimedia hub that is being touted as an all-in-one digital signage solution by MvixUSA. The DS-100 consists of a DLNA-compliant HD media player and a control portal. The DS-100 has a 16GB built-in flash storage and the content can also be made available via a UPnP server and an external USB hdd.

The flexibility in storage is a neat cost saving feature that businesses can take advantage of and use existing storage solutions. Also the Mvix DS-100 can be used without any extra costs for legacy configuration and replacement.

The advantage that the DS-100 offers is that it is a turnkey solution that dispenses with DVD and flash players. The hi-def digital signage can be scheduled for automatic streaming across multiple screens from one central PC. The remote network control portal PC can be connected via Wi-Fi or Ethernet LAN. You have the flexibility to not only control what’s being played on different signages but also play different content at the same time. The content to be displayed can be listed as a playlist and time limits can be set for each display. The content can be displayed in a cyclical manner. A remote control makes control handy for basic navigation on DLNA or UPnP devices.

The DS-100 plays the following video formats – MPEG?1, MPEG?2, MPEG?4, DivX 3.11/4, 5, XviD, WMV9 alias VC1 (MP @ HL) (up to 720p)p>. It also supports a wide range of audio and image formats.

As of now there’s no information on price and availability.

The AB-900 Bluetooth wireless car speakerphone by Sony Ericsson has a range of 10 meters. It is a neat intermediary gadget to connect your MP3 player to your car speakers. The AB-900 has an unobtrusive call-handling display that does not distract you from driving the vehicle. The RDS feature means that you hit the right frequency immediately in order to stream the music. The AB-900 also offers voicemail and hands-free calling.

You can easily access your five favorite numbers at the touch of a button.

The device offers 26 hours of talk time and 1000 hours of standby time. You can stream music for up to 18 hours. You can think up of other uses for this gadget, maybe use it for conference calls in the office. The AB-900 offers noise reduction and echo cancellation to improve sound clarity. This is a neat feature as ambient noise is often unavoidable when traveling by car. The device weighs 117g and its dimensions are – 120mm x 69mm x 16mm.

The AB-900 is compatible with most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones.

The Glacier Everest E4000 tablet PC is a rugged piece of hardware available in 10-, 12-, and 15-inch sizes with either XP Pro, XP Embedded, or Linux. The E4000 is feature-enabled to make it an ideal choice for a user working in a warehouse, freight, or a shopfloor.

The E4000 is a neat tool to enhance productivity by extending access to emails, spreadsheets, presentations, etc to all those on the shopfloor.

The E4000 can have a 1.4GHz Pentium processor with 1GB memory and a 16GB SSD. The 15-inch piece has a 1024 x 768 screen and supports 802.11a/b/g. Information on the specs is thin but given that the previous generation was 512MB and 1.2 GHz, this is not much of an upgrade.

The E4000 is capable of surviving multiple drops, extreme temperature, spillage, and rough treatment. The E4000 is entirely sealed which means that keeping the PC cool is a bit of a problem. The E4000 features a touchscreen and an integrated LAN and WAN option.

Although not a gadget but interesting enough to warrant a mention here on this blog, Trackle is a web tracking service that lets you do all your tracking from a single source – so no more going to Google Alerts for news stories and PriceProtectr to track prices of your favorite items being retailed online.

Trackle enables users to create free customized web alerts on almost anything that they wish to track. The category bar on the left side is an impressive one and covers pretty much everything trackable out there on the internet. You can get your trackles via RSS, SMS, or email or you can log on to the site and check the built-in alerts in-box that lets you take in at a glance the status of all that you are tracking.

The site lets you track your contacts on LinkedIn and it lets you track crime in your area. So basically the scope to develop this idea is limitless. Tracker will benefit as its user base grows and its own social network begins to take shape. Trackle is integrated with Twitter and will soon be integrated with Facebook as well.

The Asus VW266H is a value proposition from the company. The 26-inch monitor with a full-screen resolution of 1920 x 1200 and built-in audio has an MSRP of only $400. The Asus VW266H includes inputs for HDMI, DVI, VGA and component video.

The monitor s equipped with a stereo line-in jack, a headphone jack, and an S/PDIF output. The ports located at the back of the monitor are a little difficult to access.

Because the Asus VW266H is a budget monitor, the monitor stand does not offer any height extensions. It can only move up and down and there are no USB ports. The VW266H has dedicated controls for the dedicated 3-watt speakers. The 2 ms response time is adequate to ensure blur-free motion. The monitor can double up as a TV screen as well apart from being a computer display.

Key Specs

• Screen Size (Diagonal): 25.5 inches

• Native Resolution: 1,920×1,200

• Aspect Ratio: 16-to-10

• Contrast Ratio: 1000-to-1

• Brightness: 300 cd/m²

• Response Time: 2 milliseconds (gray to gray)

• DVI Connector: One

• D-Sub/VGA Connector(s): One

• HDMI Connector(s): One

• DisplayPort Connector: None

• USB Ports: None

The new JVC GY-HM700 ProHD is a compact shoulder professional camcorder targeted at media professionals. The GY-HM700 can record in the QuickTime file format used by Apple for Final Cut Pro which means post-production does not get delayed as the conversion / rewrapping process is eliminated.

The GY-HM700 stores files on SDHC memory cards and one can edit directly from the memory cards. The camera offers 64GB on-board storage via two memory card slots; this is equal to more than 6 hours of HD recording. Using SDHC cards means that you use up to 20% less power as against tape recordings.

An optional KA-MR100 dockable media recorder allows for simultaneous recordings of .MP4 files on high speed SxS memory cards and SDHC cards. This saves backup time.

The camera offers high resolution progressive imaging by making use of three precisely aligned 1/3-inch progressive scan full HD CCDs. The patented Adaptive Pixel Correlation Technique enables better image resolution. The camera uses a KT14x4.4KRSJ detachable lens by Canon whioh is ideal for full 1920 x 1080 imaging.

The GY-HM700 uses a digital viewfinder based on a .45-inch 1.22 million pixel Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) panel.

The Toshiba NB100 netbook is one of the two entries by the company into the netbook arena and the first Toshiba netbook with the option of a Linux operating system. The other new model released is the Satellite A350, a high end piece in a high gloss black finish with silver-striped “fusion” color accents. Both models offer embedded mobile broadband.

The company is promoting the concept of HSPA wireless broadband stating that mobile connectivity is the way to go. It is capable of data rates reaching 7.2 Mbps in the downlink and up to 2.0 Mbps when uplinking.

The NB100 has a screen size of 9 inches and weighs one kg. It has an 80GB hard drive and a 1GB memory. The NB100 runs on an Atom 1.6Ghz processor.

The Toshiba Satellite A350 has a 16-inch TFT WXGA screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The A350 runs on the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, it has a 4GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. It runs the Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium OS and comes with a 1.3 megapixel cam. It features three USB 2.0 ports and HDMI connectivity on some models.

The IPEVO S0-20 is a Wi-Fi phone for Skype that complies with the 802.11b/g wireless standard. This means that you can access the internet via any standard access point. However, since the phone does not have web-browsing capabilities you cannot access Wi-Fi hotspots that require a web-based login or authentication.

The Skype software is built into the device which means you do not a laptop or PC to avail cost savings on your calls. The phone features a 1.8-inch LCD display with 120 x 160 resolution and 65k color. It has a backlit keypad.

Mobility, ease of use, and all the features of Skype are the chief benefits of the S0-20. The S0-20 is Skype-certified, so users can be assured of a quality product that fulfills all necessary requirements to ensure a quality communication experience through Skype.

The S0-20 supports WPA, WPA2, WEP encryption protocols. The Li-ion 900mAh rechargeable battery offers up to 4 hours of talktime and around 30 hours of standby time. The device costs $129.

The phone lets you decide the version of Skype that you wish to run. Software updates are possible automatically and manually.