Mini scanner, for business cards

GIZMO GALLERY

The Corex CardScan Executive 600c is a tiny, functional and compact (5x15 cm), 400dpi, colour scanner. It reads the information from business cards and transmits the names and other contact information to a PC or handheld device.

The optical character recognition (OCR) scheme (which even recognises sideways print) allows everything to be organised according to name, title, company name, address, phone, fax, e-mail and so on.

It's expensive at $300 equivalent but it has extra features to compensate. It's USB-connected and compatible with Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP and Macs using Connectix Virtual PC. Corex includes a set of international adapters.

You can feed cards singly or in batches. The software can synchronise with e-mail clients like Outlook, Symantec Act or Lotus Notes. You can store your contacts online at the CardScan.Net Web site, or sync with Palm, Windows CE or Psion devices. The software also checks for duplicates.

Fast laptops

Dell is offering the popular LatitudeT D800, Dell PrecisionT M60 mobile workstation and the InspironT 8600 ranges of laptops configured with the fastest version of the new Intel mobile processors.

A typical configuration is the Intel Pentium M processor 755, featuring 2.0GHz processor speed, 2MB Level 2 cache and 400MHz front side bus. The Intel Pentium M processor 745, Intel Pentium M processor 735 and the Intel® Celeron® M processor 330 are also on offer.

The new processors have a three-digit processor numbering sequence announced in April, 2004. A higher number indicates more features, or changes in architecture.

Power charger

The Brunton Solo Portable Power source is a universal charger, which can power electronics across voltage ranges such as 7.5, 12, or even 110 V.

It's designed for the tech-savvy hiker or anybody on a getaway driving holiday. This can drive laptops, TVs, air pumps and cell phones for hours. Recharging the Brunton Solo itself is easy.

Simply plug it into any household outlet, or vehicle DC outlet. Or use a solar panel to fully recharge over about 10 hours. The Solo Portable Power Source is waterproof (with the lid closed), silent, and environmentally safe. Weight is an issue, however "� the device weighs about 5 kg.