Cool Stuff 2002: Useful Accessories
Russell Kay
December 3, 2001
(Computerworld)
Are you trying to raise a couple of future sysadmins, but you're worried about their posture and the potential for early-onset repetitive stress injuries from spending too much time at the computer? Tired of sharing your desk with the little ones? Here's a line of computer furniture designed by parents and built especially for children.
The chair, desktop and monitor shelf easily adjust to meet the ergonomic requirements of your children as they grow. Colorful melamine surfaces resist scratches and spills. The desks come in single and double-wide models; the latter comfortably accommodate two children ages 3 to 8. The chairs each have two wheels that allow for mobility as well as stability. And don't forget the matching CPU/printer stand. Finally, if you think it's a good idea but the colors are just too much for your decor, the items are also available in white.
Kidstation
Manufacturer: Kidstation, Monrovia, Calif.
Web Site: www.kidstation.com
Price: $200 to $300 per item
|
What color is your laptop computer? Unless it's an iBook from Apple Computer Inc., chances are it's either black, gray or silver. If you'd like to dress your computer up, however, LapWrap may be just the ticket. This foam-padded, hook-and-loop-attached fabric cover will fit any laptop between 11.75 in. and 12.75 in. in width and is available in a variety of solid colors. If that's not fancy enough, you can also get it in fake fur (I'm partial to the giraffe, shown above, but you can also get zebra, tiger or leopard), camouflage, tie-dye or genuine leather.
Lap Wrap
Manufacturer: Seale and Hull Inc., Dallas
Web Site: www.thelapwrap.com
Price: $24 to $30
|
Most lovers of high-tech gadgets have a hearty appetite for batteries. Many devices use rechargeable batteries, but have you noticed how long they take to recharge? Now there's an answer, a high-speed, microprocessor-controlled battery recharger. The
Mach 1 Speed Charger will recharge popular 7.2-volt lithium-ion camcorder batteries as well as batteries for popular makes of digital cameras in just 30 minutes.
New models for different voltages, including popular nickel metal hydride AA and AAA cells, are on the way. What makes this unit work so quickly is a thermal sensor technology and microprocessor control that delivers maximum energy to the battery but prevents overheating. This technology can make batteries last up to five times longer than normal. It also works with 12-volt outlets, so you can recharge batteries while you drive.
Mach 1 Speed Charger
Manufacturer: Lenmar Enterprises Inc., Westlake Village, Calif.
Web Site: www.lenmar.com
Price: $100
|
Business-card scanners are a handy way to deal with a stack of business cards collected at a trade show. This newest scanner from the company that pretty much originated the category is twice as fast as its predecessor, and it scans in color. Equally important is the new software that comes with the unit,
CardScan 6.0, which features improved recognition of address elements and the ability to store the actual card images (front and back, if you choose). As with the previous release, CardScan automatically updates your other address books, such as Outlook or Notes. Finally, you can sync your addresses to those stored online at www.cardscan.net. At that point, you can also click on an address and get instant maps and driving directions. All in all, it's a slick system.
CardScan 600
Manufacturer: Corex Technologies Corp., Cambridge, Mass.
Web Site: www.cardscan.com
Price: $300
|
Every computer needs a keyboard, and this may be the handiest one I've ever seen. I'm not excited by programmable buttons—everyone's got those, it seems. But Microsoft has created a
keyboard that's tailored for use with Microsoft Office XP. The usual 12 function keys now do double duty; each has a function or application mapped to it, and a lot of thought went into picking those functions. A push opens or closes the task pane in any Office application. Another button brings up the Windows calculator, otherwise buried beneath two layers of menus.
On the left side, there's a large scroll wheel and Forward and Back buttons—very nice for Web surfing. There's also a rocker switch that lets you move quickly between all open applications, and dedicated Cut and Paste buttons. All of these are programmable if you don't like the defaults.
