by Jamie McAfee
Every Jan. 1, we make another set of resolutions to improve our lives: lose weight, spend more time with the kids, put in time at a local charity. Technology, too, is something we depend on to make life better. But while you may not be able to become a better person overnight, you can always buy new tech. Here’s some to help you get back to business.
Colorful Calls
Keep the latest news and e-mail handy — literally. Motorola’s V2282 phone incorporates the WAP interface for browsing the Internet with four lines of graphics display. Entertain yourself on long commutes by listening to the integrated FM stereo. Change the color of your phone to fit your mood or wardrobe with shades of Vermilion, Marlin, or Wave.
Motorola; 800-548-9954; www.motorola.com; $100-200
Oh Brother
For those with tight budgets and tighter space constraints the Brother MFC-9200c is an ideal solution. The multi-function device offers color printing at speeds of up to 12 pages per minute and up to 1,200 by 1,200 dpi resolution. Featuring an optical resolution of 600 by 2,400 dpi, the MFC-9200c offers color scanning with dedicated buttons to scan directly to e-mail or image-editing and OCR applications. The unit can also produce black-and-white and color copies. Unique features include dedicated drives for CompactFlash and SmartMedia, which allow this model to print photo-quality images without a PC.
Brother; 800-521-2846; www.brother.com; $600
Thin Is In
The Sony VAIO Z505JE SuperSlim Pro notebook includes a powerful Intel mobile Pentium III processor with SpeedStep technology that automatically switches between 500 and 650MHz to conserve battery juice. The Z505JE boasts a 9GB hard drive with 64MB SDRAM, which is sure to meet busy travelers’ needs. The notebook is also upgradeable to 192 MB SDRAM. The 12.1-inch XGA active matrix TFT display allows users to comfortably view documents. With a 10Base-T/100Base TX integrated Ethernet and 56K modem, connecting to the network or the Internet is a snap.
Sony; 888-315-7669; www.sony.com/pc; $2,500
Holding All Gadgets
No that’s not Elliot Ness. It’s a business traveler whose run out of pockets for all his cell phones, pagers, and handhelds. The PEC e-Holster acts as a concealed handbag for professionals of both sexes, the shoulder-style holster can be customized with additional pouches for holding a variety of handheld devices. A leather version holds a cell phone and handheld PC. Additional models in leather and nylon are also available.
Personal Electronics Concealment; 888-425-1034; www.eholster.com; $120.
Presentations To Go
Taking portability to a new level, Plus Corporation developed the new U3-1080 projector, an incredibly handy 2.9-pound, 1.9-inch-thin model. Based on Texas Instruments’ Digital Light Processing technology, the U3-1080 projects 800 lumens of brightness and XGA resolution, and features a wireless remote control, 10x digital zoom, and a USB-based remote-mouse control.
Plus Corp. of America; 800-289-7587; www.plus-america.com; $6,995
Sign at the Digital X
Thanks to President Clinton, an electronic signature is a legally binding endorsement of a document. Capturing an autograph is easy with Interlink Electronics ePad. Ergonomically designed to recreate the natural feel of signing a piece of paper, the ePad can be used for Microsoft Word and Excel files as well as for documents in Adobe Acrobat 4.0. The ePad can also measure an individual’s stylus pressure and time-to-sign data for biometric signature verification.
Interlink Electronics Inc.; 800-340-1331;
Power Hungry
Power surges are disastrous for computer users. The iUPS 280 helps prevent loss of data and damage to equipment from power anomalies. Backed by 11 minutes of battery time, three UPS outlets can support a PC, monitor, and backup device. Another three outlets protect other peripherals, like scanners and printers, from brownouts and overvoltage. Thirty percent smaller than similar models, the iUPS 280 weighs in at almost 4.5 pounds. Tripp Lite guarantees the UPS with up to $25,000 of Ultimate Lifetime Insurance coverage for connected equipment against surge damage.
Tripp Lite; 773-869-1111; www.tripplite.com; $105
You’ve Got Mail
Direct mailings are made easier by using ELetter.com. Let ELetter print and send those time-consuming mailings for you. Just upload the address list and mailing content, and in a few days ELetter prints, folds, stuffs, seals, addresses, adds postage, sorts, and delivers the entire job to the post office. Proofs of mailing are available free of charge. Also, ELetter verifies the mailing list against the U.S. Postal Service database. First-class postage is only 29 cents. Lists can be purchased online, and mailer templates can be downloaded from the site. ELetter produces full color pieces and charges only for the amount of ink used.
ELetter.com Inc.; 877-353-8837; www.eletter.com; Pricing varies with mailing type and amount.
Hot Stuff
Add impact to Microsoft PowerPoint presentations using HotFoot and HotFoot Host by Digital Lava. HotFoot is an add-in for PowerPoint 97 and 2000 that combines voice and graphics to create interactive presentations using Microsoft Windows Media Technologies. The HotFoot menu is downloaded off the Internet and installed into the PowerPoint toolbar, and offers a variety of recording, previewing, and packaging options. With a microphone, users can record audio for a single slide, groups of slides, or continuous narration. HotFoot Host is an online service that stores and manages presentations for access from any Internet-connected computer with a Web browser and Windows Media Player.
Digital Lava; 888-222-5282; www.digitallava.com; $50.
Business Simulator
Resolve pesky workflow issues and clean up productivity bottlenecks with SIMUL8 2000. SIMUL8 users can design scenarios for a particular business problem and the software visually provides the solution for different situations. The program also provides animated Visio flowcharts or work diagrams to gain a clear picture of inefficient activities. SIMUL8 2000 supports Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, and 3.1.
SIMUL8Corp.; 800-547-6024; www.simul8.com; $495.
