Gadgets and VoIP

Magic Wand Handheld Scanner for $49.99

I have written before about the handheld VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand scanner. It is a great tool for use in libraries and archives for scanning documents and even pictures up to 8.5-inches wide (A4 size) and any length. I wouldn't use it on any fragile and delicate documents, however, as the rollers built into the scanner do exert pressure on the item being scanned.

I paid $99.95 for my handheld Magic Wand scanner a bit more than a year ago and I have used it a lot since then. I scan not only things of genealogical interest, but also most of the bills I receive in the mail, owners manuals (after checking the manufacturer's web site to see if the manual is already available as a PDF file), and much more. It is portable and easily slips into a backpack, briefcase, or even the smallest suitcase.

Now I see that the same units are on sale on eBay, listed as "manufacturer refurbished," for half that price: $49.99. That price even includes free shipping. Customers located in New York will pay 8.675% tax but the item will be tax-free in all other states. At this price, it only ships to U.S. addresses.

The TungstenW Wallet Protects Itself

From GearLog:

Wouldn't it be cool if your wallet could protect itself? The TungstenW wallet from Aegis Innovations is probably better at self-defense than you are. It is made out of either carbon fiber/kevlar, pure carbon fiber, or fiberglass. Hook the wallet up to your computer, program your fingerprints for the wallet's biometric scanner, and you're good to go.

A Hands-On Review of the new Apple iPad

UPS delivered my new iPad this morning. This has been one of the most publicized devices of the decade, creating more excitement than the original hula hoop. I was anxious to see if it lived up to my expectations.

You can read tens of thousands of articles about the iPad online. One person wrote, “This truly is a magical revolution. I can’t imagine why anyone will want to go back to using a mouse and keyboard once they’ve experienced Apple’s visionary user interface!” Someone else wrote, “This device is laughably absurd. How can they expect anyone to get serious computer work done without a mouse?”

Those are some pretty confident critiques of the iPad — considering that their authors had never even touched an iPad when they wrote those comments. I've now used my new iPad for a several hours and therefore think I am qualified to offer an opinion or two.