Paperless Office - document scanner, scansnap

Click here for more information Great tool. What a scanner should be. This is another world from the speed and software efficiency you have in the average scanner and All In One Printers. So I am happy to have both a AIO device and this great tool for document management.



My use:

Now all the invoices and in general, all my printed documents are converted into searchable pdf into an easy to access archive.



I can recover from a fax or a printed document and edit it in word or excel tables or iWork and save a lot of time retyping



Business cards are archived in a short time and included in my address book and so also on my iPhone.



PLUS

A single, easy to use, application manages the very fast scanning and efficient OCR conversion of printed documents outputting directly in searchable PDF, Word, Excel, email attachment, address book and VCF contacts. Also business card OCR is quiet effective and the limit is due to strange character and graphics and you can find on some more creative cards.



Compared to what you find in the AIO devices and average scanners, paper handling is superior and errors are avoided. In the case of skipped pages (Happens rarely) a sensor warns you and show you which page is missing.



CONS

Only shortcoming is that Acrobat Pro is included in version 8.0 and not the last 9.0 but I suppose that this will change soon. Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500M Instant PDF Sheet-Fed Scanner for the Macintosh

But I mean this in a good way. The ScanSnap S1500M gobbles up piles of paper at an amazing rate. One-side or two-side scanning takes the same time. I have put just about every type of paper through it, often of mixed sizes and types (e.g., legal and letter size, 3x5 cards, newspaper and magazine clippings, unfolded brochures). A carrier sheet is available for crumpled, folded, or extremely thin paper. I've only had one paper jam (an odd-shaped, somewhat crumpled page that I ran without using the carrier sheet). Clearing jams is trivially easy because of the almost straight-through paper path. I am amazed by the quality of the scans. Photos sometimes look better than the originals. It small and almost silent. The software is easy to use. I have seldom, if ever, had a computer peripheral that I was as happy with.

I've scanned approximately 15,000 pages with this scanner and it couldn't have been easier. I did get the occasional "paper jam" when the sheet feeder picked up the next page as it was feeding the current page. Clearing a jam is trivial: pop the cover open, remove the pages, snap the cover back, continue scanning. Considering I was feeding in papers from 15 - 20 years ago, I expected the pages to occasionally stick together. This scanner is worth every penny.

I'm a proud new owner of a ScanSnap S1500M. I've owned many flatbed scanners and a multifunction device with a scanner, and I have to say the ScanSnap is among the best. Like most people, I've been digitizing my documents to reduce clutter. However, with my flatbed scanner, it gets very tedious to open the lid, flip the page, then click on the scanning software to continue scanning. A few pages takes a lot of time to digitize. With my ADF-equipped scanners, it was more hands-free, but the scans tended to be skewed. In all my past scanners, I could not search my PDFs.



My ScanSnap arrived a few days ago, and I've scanned several hundred pages. It is absolutely fast, no joke. Another reviewer said it's a paper eater (to denote scanning speed). It really munches on paper quickly. Actually, it is so quick, I spend more time preparing the documents (unstaple, arrange, etc.) than running it through the scanner. Plus, Fujitsu did a great job with the footprint. It is a very small scanner. Just a little bit wider than a sheet of paper, and maybe half as tall as the long side of a sheet of paper. The trays also fold in, so it looks like a small rectangular block when it's all folded in. The sheet feeding tends to be pretty straight. It did jam a few times, but they tend to be on thin sheets of paper. In case of a jam, there is a compartment you open up, just like un-jamming an office photocopier. Overall, I am very pleased with the scanner device.



The reason I gave it an overall 4 Stars is because their software needs some improvements. First of all, there's no Organizer software that provides the added usability of the PC version. If you go on YouTube, and search for S1500M, you will notice they are pitching the S1500 (PC version). In comparing the software capabilities from the video to what I actually got, I really would like the Organizer. As it is, when you press the Scan button on your scanner, it will invoke ScanSnap Manager on your Mac. That piece of software only lets you control what will happen when the Scan button is pressed (Save to a Folder, Send to Word, Quality settings, ...). But, what happens after the scan is not organized for you.



Open the YouTube video address below, then skip to the time 2:10. It talks about Send to ScanSnap Organizer folder. That's not in the Mac version, consequently, the Mac version doesn't get the View, Crop, and Highlight features in ScanSnap Organizer. Why?



[...]





Another complaint is that unlike the PC version, the Mac version only comes with Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Pro (PC comes with 9.0), although I think 8.0 is pretty good already.



The Searchable PDF feature is great. The OCR is pretty good. Here's the bad part though, and I think it's related to not having Organizer. To make the scans searchable, you have to turn on the "Convert to Searchable PDF" checkbox in the ScanSnap Manager's "File option" tab. When you load your documents and press Scan, the software will create the PDF, then there's another step to run it through OCR. If you scan in low volume, just a few sheets at a time, you'll be okay. But I scan 50-150 pages at a time. The ten or so seconds to OCR a page adds up to tens of minutes per batch. During the time it does OCR, you cannot continue scanning!!! Believe me, I tried but the Scan button does nothing while OCR is working. That's not good at all. I would rather scan my next batch, then queue up the OCR jobs. That way, I can scan everything now, then go to lunch or leave it running overnight, then it's done when I get back. But with their current setup, you will have to sit by your desk to wait until you can do your next batch. It's kind of like the old days of printing. Can you imagine yourself printing a big document, then being unable to tell MS Word to print the next document until the first one finished? It's kind of like that. Think about it.



Overall, I absolutely love the scanner device. I think it's great. Good job for putting two scanning units to make double-sided scans in one pass. The software is okay. It is missing an Organizer found in the PC version. The OCR is pretty accurate, but when scanning big batches, the OCR process will bottleneck your next batch to scan. If you're like many who are buying a fast scanner because you have many file cabinets of paper to scan, you will find that bottleneck very annoying.



Now, if Fujitsu could fix those limitations for S1500M users, then my complaints disappear and they would deserve a 5 Star rating. If anyone else has similar experience, please add a Note to Fujitsu section in your review. Hopefully Fujitsu will get the idea and work on it.





NOTE TO FUJITSU: Please have a Mac version of ScanSnap Organizer available for S1500M owners. Also, please enhance your software to include a Scan Job Queueing capability, so that people can scan their next job while the software is crunching another job. Kind of like how printing used to be one at a time, but later it could be Queued into a spooler so that users can get on with their job right away. Those would make your scanners unbeatable. Please strongly consider. - Scanner - Document Scanner - Scansnap - Fujitsu
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Paperless Office - document scanner, scansnap

Hp - hp, laptop battery

Click here for more information Purchased this battery for $36 as a replacement battery for my HP notebook computer, G60 series. The battery fits perfectly, and charged up well. I ran the calibration for the battery after charging the battery a couple of times. The battery seems to hold a great charge, seemingly lasting as long as the original battery did when the computer was first purchased, providing at least 2 hours of use with moderate use when using the HP recommendation power settings.



I don't know that there was an issue, however, about a week after installing the battery, my HP Total Care Advisor indicated problems with the battery. I recalibrated, and all has been good, and have checked the battery several times since then.



I noticed the battery dropped to $29 about a week or so after I bought it, which makes it an even better deal. I was even tempted to purchase an additional battery for that price. If this battery is still going strong in a month, and the price is below $30, I will more than likely do this, as even at less than $70 for two batteries, it is a steal, as I expected to pay $50 - $75 for a replacement battery when my original started going bad.



As a prime member, my 2-day shipping came on schedule, and the battery was well packaged. NEW Laptop/Notebook Battery for HP/Compaq 484170-001 484170-002 484172-001 485041-001 485041-002 ev06 ev12 hstnn-c51c hstnn-cb72 hstnn-db72 hstnn-ib72 hstnn-lb72 hstnn-q34c hstnn-ub72 hstnn-ub73 ks524aa ks526aa ks527aa nc273aa nh493aa

UPDATE, April 19, 2011: It is about 3 months later (since I initially reviewed this product) and I am back to change my rating from 4 stars to only 1 star. Unfortunately, the battery will no longer hold a charge above about 1/3, even with recommended recalibrations. It worked well until about a week ago. It was about then that I also started noticing freezing issues with my laptop, requiring hard reboots (forced power downs). Maybe I simply got a dud; however, I will not be buying another one from the same vendor (Superb Choice); I'll be buying one from a difference vendor via "Amazon Fulfillment (LaptopMate)." I'll be back to append this review is the return does not go well.



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



INITIAL REVIEW: I have not had any problems with this battery, except for one, minor glitch, which is why I only gave it 4 stars. My HP notebook did not readily acknowledge the new, non-HP battery at first. After a second reboot, it did. But then, a few days later when I ran the batter test program, it reported "Replace" in the condition results.



Having some experience with this type of thing in the past, I re-calibrated the battery, via allowing it to drain completely while using the notebook without A/C power, then using A/C power to recharge it completely. After running the battery test again, it reported "Good" for the condition.



Since then, several weeks ago, it has consistently reported the condition of the battery as "Good," and I have not had any issues. The charge lasts as long as the old HP (the one I replaced) battery did when the notebook was new.

My Girlfriend's laptop had a depleted 12 cell battery which could no longer hold a charge for longer than five minutes. It not only needed to be plugged in but weighted quite a bit making it not very portable. Getting a new battery made it easier to carry by lowering the weight and making it less cumbersome by not having the battery jut out of the laptop. The battery life is decent and I am glad my girlfriend isn't lugging such a heavy backpack around anymore. :)

I was totally dissatisfied with this battery and I had to return it. I tried it for 5 days. Every time I charged it to full, it would come to 20% in just 30 mins to an hour of normal use.



I must mention that Amazon's customer service was superb. I got the RMA online so easily. Return shipping was paid by Amazon. Just printed the label and sent it back, received refund within a day, no questions asked. Love amazon.

The battery works just fine. My computer will not recognize it though. Im not sure where the problem is but in order for the battery to charge, I have to plug the power cord in, remove the battery for a second and then put it back in. The laptop will charge the battery just fine after that.



Small price to pay for a cheap replacement battery I guess... I could have spent a whole lot more. - Laptop Battery - Hp
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Hp - hp, laptop battery

Travel Adapter - headphone accessories, earphones

Click here for more information I originally set out to get the volume module to replace the one I lost with my original set of Shure SE210s, but then I saw this kit for the same price. You can never have too many 1/8"-1/4" adapters and the airplane adapter is invaluable. The volume module is almost a necessity with the Shure earphone since you'll want to be able to adjust the volume quickly if you need to. Shure EAADPT-KIT Attachable Volume Control

The product performs as expected. The volume control works without any obvious sound distortions. I use it as a resistor to get rid of background static (hissing) on my earphones which are sensitive to the higher power levels on my laptop. Recommended.

I messed up the headphone jack in my 1st gen iPod Touch by pushing in an old plug that was slightly too big. After that, only one channel played.



After dispairing a while and opening the iPod case (which didn't help), I bought the Shure EAADPT along with a Sendstation PocketDock, which allow me to get the audio out of the dock connector of the iPod. They work with all my iPods (we have 4 in our household, a 1st generation, a 2nd gen, and a 4th gen Touch, and a Mini). I use them in two of my cars, plugged into a Monster cassette adaptor. The combination produces crystal clear sound - noticeably better quality than I heard straight from the headphone jack. The sound is clearer because it is the Line output, bypassing some of the amplifier circuitry in the iPod, which I guess is not the best. Even though I bought the Shure and Sendstation for my messed up Touch, I use them whenever I listen to any of the iPods - that's how much better they makes them sound. My only complaint with the Shure is that it is a little too easy to move the adjusting wheel, and it has no marking on it to show the volume level.



Highly recommended. - Headphone Accessories - Earphones - Portable - Travel Adapter
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Travel Adapter - headphone accessories, earphones

Plasma TVs - How it work?

Plasma TVs are a new set of display that uses technology ultimately different from other televisions. Although Plasma displays are not a new invention ( survey on them dates back for decades ), it is only recently that the technology to manufacture Plasma TVs at a relatively cheap price have been developed. Demand Plasma TVs have now been on the mart for many years. They initially 'wow' many home theater enthusiasts with their size and weight (and particularly their thinness), but original displays were very worthy and lacked image quality comparable to differential technologies.

However, with advances in manufacturing technology, Plasma TVs are now a workable, and in many ways good, preference to other display types. Plasma TVs are now available in a wide difference of sizes, ranging from 32 to 63 inches large, and with larger displays on the horizon. The image quality has highly improved, as have sharpness, black levels, and brightness. Prices have further come down dramatically, and many shoppers can now inspect Plasma TVs to be cheap enough to buy.

So, how do Plasma TVs work? What makes them different?, a Plasma TV works by suspending an inert gas such as neon or xenon in between two glass plates that are meshed together. Between the glass panels there are generally over 1 million pixel cells capable of producing 16.7 million colors. This inert gas is excited by a charge from an electrode, one per pixel of the display, turning it to plasma (for the name), and causing ultraviolet light to be created. Of course, we cannot watch UV light, but this light is used to brighten phosphors built into the glass, creating visible light. Since each pixel includes red, green and blue phosphors, the usage for space is reduced. Also, since each pixel includes all three colors, there is no need to scan the picture as with usual cathode-ray tube displays, allowing Plasma TVs to produce greatly bright and colorful displays.

In less technical terms, Plasma TV displays can be though of as having 1 million or more microscopic light bulbs (pixels) arranged between glass plates. These pixels are illuminated by plasma gas, and are able to produce red, green, and blue individually, and any of 16.7 million colors in between. The bulbs are controlled via the television 's microprocessor corresponding to the images that are to be viewed.

Ipad 2 Cases - ipad 2 cases

Click here for more information 1) In the interest of full disclosure, I was asked to write this review by the seller. I was going to anyway, but the small incentive they offered made me take it off the "do next week" list.



2) I was one of the first to get an iPad 2. Not only am I obsessed with electronic anything - I even bought a wi-fi enabled coffee maker - I own a small IT business. It's my job. My clients expect to see the newest everything - from handhelds to phones to laptops. I was also one of the first to get an iPad 1. After I got the original iPad, I tried out 6 different cases, ranging from $10 el cheapo cases on eBay to $80 cases from Amazon, before I found "the one." The one I loved was the iPad 1 version of this case. After the iPad 2 case came out, I was on pins and needles waiting for this one to be released. I did try two other cases - one silicon and one leather - and they were horrible, so bad they aren't worth mentioning in comparison.



3) Even though I am a conspicuous consumer and early adopter, I prefer a modest profile. This case fits that need perfectly. The case is slim, with soft but tough leather on the outside and soft lining. It is NOT thick and makes the iPad about a thick as two bound magazines or a very thin book. It feels perfect and adds no heft to it.



4) The pebbled outer layer prevents most finger smudges, and the rigid clip-closing makes sure the case keeps a svelte, even profile. No buckles or ripples or anything. It sits flat on a desktop, and feels perfectly balanced in your hand.



5) The "trap" corner design of the grip is great - you see the iPad in it's full beautiful industrial design glory. It is not hiding behind a frame of jagged leather, or held cockeyed.



6) It bends to nearly every conceivable position you need the iPad in. True, it does not give multiple viewing holds & angles from the upright/portrait position, but then in my use the iPad is only in that position when I am reading, and I am holding it when I am. for video viewing or typing, it is in landscape mode and I can use any of the 5 positions this case lets you set up in seconds to do it.



7) The iPad removes more easily from this case than any other. So if you have other docks, displays or anything, there is no fumbling around with it.



8) I got a GREAT price on this, but even at full list price this case is undervalued. This case is the best money I spent on a computer equipment other than the iPad itself.



9) I not only recommend this to my clients, but even to strangers in an elevator. Just get it. You will not regret it. Acase iPad 2 High Quality Premium Slim Leather Case Folio with built-in Stand for Apple iPad 2 2nd Generation - 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, WiFi and WiFi +3G (Black)

I've had this case for just a few days (I'm on my 3rd day of use actually) and I fully satisfied with it.



Before going for it I reviewed several other options and now I'm convinced that I made the right choice (I must admit that I hadn't purchased an Acase item before and I wasn't sure, but by the 2nd day I became an instant fan).



I was surprised of the fit, it was just perfect (I'm using an anti-glare cover but had no issue getting my iPad2 right in place). I guess that if you're constantly inserting and extracting the iPad2 from this case the "hold" may eventually degrade, but I purchased it with the intention of not taking it out frequently.



ALL controls and ports are easily accessible and there's no need to remove it.



One detail I wasn't really enthusiastic when I made the purchase was the color of the microfiber interior (green), I thought I would've preferred it to be dark gray, but I it was a nice surprise to see that I actually like the tone a lot.



There's other review that mentions that the best typing position isn't shown in the pictures (I'll try to post a couple of pictures to show it), but all you need to do it to bring the iPad all the way to the front -not using the grooves, but the "clip" that secures the case when closed.



I totally agree with that reviewer that this provides a comfortable angle for typing and (I really like this!) keeps the microfiber interior away from the surface you're placing it on (desk, table, etc.) so it stays clean and that eventually will help protect the screen. Right now there's a picture showing a typing position with a similar angle but it exposes the microfiber interior to whatever is on the surface your placing it (dust or other stuff) -the Apple cover for the iPad1 had the same flaw- I prefer the other option and keep the microfiber interior clean.



The leather isn't shiny and I like it's matte finish.



One little detail is that when I first unpacked the case, it had a not-so-nice odor, but after 3 days it has diminished a lot and I guess in a couple of days more it will have disappeared.



I'll update the review if the odor persists and after I post the pictures. - Ipad 2 Cases
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Ipad 2 Cases - ipad 2 cases

Diffuser - flash diffuser, photography

Click here for more information Pros:

- Inexpensive way to add a color tint to your on-camera flash. If you're tired of taking flash photos where the background has a much warmer color than your subject, use the warming (orange) filter and set your white balance to tungsten. You could theoretically use the blue filter for the opposite effect - if the ambient light is very blue, use the blue filter to match it. Alternatively, you could introduce mismatched lighting for creative effect.



Cons:

- Cheap build. The plastic has molding edges all over. I'd recommend sanding the edges that touch your face, to make it less uncomfortable.

- Light loss. There's nothing you can do about it when building a device like this; you're going to lose light. The plastic absorbs some, and a lot is scattered out-of-frame (which is sort of the point of a diffuser anyway.) Don't use this if you're shooting something at the edges of your flash's capabilities.

- Less diffusion than you're hoping for. You'll only really notice the diffusion when your subject is in front of a wall; the shadow they cast will have a blurry edge, rather than sharp. Flash glare on people's faces is cut down slightly, but not as much as I had hoped.

- You could get the same color tint effect with some clear tape and a CTO or CTB gel, which is significantly cheaper, loses less light, and is more flexible.

- You're going to realize that available light is not the holy grail of photography, turn down your ISO, switch back to your slow zoom lens, and discover the expensive hobby of lighting. Soft Pop-Up SLR Flash Diffuser for Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus, & Pentax On-Camera Flashes with White, Blue (Cooling), & Yellow (Warming) Screens by Cowboystudio

Got it... opened it... popped it on and Whalla! It worked. Took it off and took a picture. Put it back on and took a picture. It was a definite softer result. Not too crazy about the yellow and blue diffuser. But I'm sure I can find a use for it. The white is a must have for your pop up flash.

Same review as Julie, I got it, put it on, took a picture; took it off and took a picture. The difference is definitely noticeable. Softens lighting with aforementioned qualities: reduces background shadows to a blur, and reduces harshness of direct flash on faces. It evens-out the total amount of light within the frame of the shot.



I haven't used the yellow and blue yet since I mostly use my speedlight w/diffuser. I figured those two pieces were free bonus's. The white diffuser warms the shot, toning down the white balance so-to-speak. This product is handy when you're doing some quick photos with a general-purpose lens and don't want to drag out and set up your camera with all the attachments.



The only issue I have is that the mounting bracket is too wide for my hotshoe. I have to squeeze it together really hard to get it to slide in. Maybe I'll try to heat it up and attach it quickly and let it cool; then maybe it'll fit better once cooled in the position that it needs to be... we'll see.



Overall, this product does what it was designed to do and at a much more reasonable cost than the name brands. Be realistic in knowing you won't get studio quality lighting with a $10 attachment for a pop up flash. It DOES increase the quality of lighting than without it.

It won't work with Canon T2i :(

apparently when something is inserted into hot shoe of T2i - camera thinks it's external flash and disables the pop-up flash, so the puffer is useless.

I just wish it was stated in the description that it won't work with certain models.

It does work with T1i, Xs and it works great on those.

It is exactly the same as Gary Fong's, but cheaper :) result is the same and you get 2 more

Cool item to have. It works great. Only the white beam is useful though as the yellow and blue give a weird color effect. I give 4 stars because the plastic feel cheap, but it does its job and good price.

Does what it says it does, and costs half of what the Gary Fong diffuser does. I don't really use the blue or yellow covers, but the white one is really all you need, I think. Yes, it's cheap and plastic-- but it works. Overall I think it's great. - Canon - Photography - Soft Screen Diffuser - Flash Diffuser
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Diffuser - flash diffuser, photography

Esata Cable - esata cable, external hard drive

Click here for more information This cable appears to be well shielded and has good length for the price. The only drawback would be the inflexible nature of the cable, making it difficult to use with a desktop replacement/notebook. If you have a desktop setup then the cable would be perfect since it would remain in nearly the same orientation but it is difficult to get the cable to change directions otherwise. StarTech 3-Feet Shielded External eSATA Cable M/M (ESATA3)

I bought this extra eSATA cable to go with a Western Digital DVR Expander even though the DVR Expander comes with a USB cable and an eSATA cable included. I had read in other customer comments on other external hard drive products that the included cables are usually "garbage". For the extra couple of bucks I ordered this cable along with the DVR Expander. I'm sure glad I did. The eSATA cable included would not plug into the DVR Expander or the back of the DVR, obviously from ill-fitting plugs. But this "3 feet Shielded External eSATA Cable M/M" fit perfectly and works beautifully. Good product and good reason to encourage honest customer comments. Thanks, Amazon!

Just be aware that eSATA does not carry power, only data - something i didn't know about previously. Therefore, for my external 2.5 inch drive, I had to also connect the USB cable simultaneously so it got power, which is kind of funny. That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with this cable. It worked perfectly.



Also, I have no complaints about cable rigidity or the cable coming out like others have mentioned. It seems fine to me.

I bought this cable to reconnect an external eSATA drive to my TiVo. At one point I had to move the TiVo and the drive. When I initially tried to reconnect them, I could not get the original cable to seat properly. Subsequently the TiVo would not recognize the drive or boot up. In order to get the TiVo to boot I had to disconnect the drive and lose all the shows I had saved to that point.



This cable worked great! It connected snugly to both the TiVo and the hard drive. Once I started the TiVo with this cable in place, the TiVo booted properly, recognized the hard drive and I was back in business.

I bought this to connect an external hard drive to a new e-SATA PCI board (which had been connected by USB 2.0). My aim was to radically incease read/write speeds and therefore accelerate the backups that I run.



The cable worked perfectly. The connections are a little fiddly, but that is the design of the connectors, not a fault of the cable manufacturer. I got exactly the result I wanted, which is a much faster backup process. I would recommend e-SATA connections to anyone writing large quantities of data to external drives. - Cables - Esata Cable - Hard Drive - External Hard Drive
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Esata Cable - esata cable, external hard drive