Category Archives: Hardware

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Another TechnoFeature

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of having my review of the Canon ScanFront 220P scanner published as a TechnoFeature by TechnoLawyer. A reprint of my review can be found on my Files page or by clicking here.

My summary of the review is that I loved this scanner and I would recommend it for anyone who is looking for a network scanner.

On a somewhat related note, I would also recommend that if you are not currently subscribed to TechnoLawyer, that you click over to their website and sign up. It is one of the best sources of the practical application of technology to the practice of law that I have found.

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Multiple Monitors Increase Productivity

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To the surprise of no one who has ever used multiple monitors, recent studies show that multiple monitors increase a user’s productivity 20%-30%. As the Slashdot article notes:

For those of us who use multi-monitors, this is not shocking.

The Microsoft article states:

Give someone a second monitor, let them use it for while, and then try to take it away. It just isn’t going to happen. They’ll never go back to a mono display. Researchers in the Visualization and Interaction for Business and Entertainment group (VIBE), found that increasing a computer user’s display space made it easier for them to complete their tasks.

I haveMultiple Monitors used multiple monitors for more than four years now and wholeheartedly agree that using multiple monitors improves my productivity by the 30% shown in the study. The only drawback that I have ever encountered in using a multiple monitor set up is that I have multiple monitors only when I am in my office. When I am away from the office I find myself often wishing that I had a second monitor to use. In fact, I have used MaxiVista to co opt a second monitor get to get the extra desktop space.

I wrote a short column on using multiple monitors. This can be found on my Files page.

If you have never used multiple monitors before, I strongly encourage you to try it out. I have never met anyone who used multiple monitors that ever wanted to go back to a single monitor.

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My Freedom GPS and TomTom Maps: I’d Be Lost Without Them

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I have written before about how much I like the combination of my Freedom Keychain GPS and TomTom Maps. Until this last week, however, all that I had really done with the system was play around with it. On vacation, however, I had the opportunity to use it in several situations. In each situation, the system came through with flying colors.

Freedom GPSThe first situation that I had the opportunity to use the GPS was on the interstate between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. While traveling through Indianapolis, we saw a message that said that there had been an accident on I-74 and to consider alternative routes.  Given that traffic had not been too bad until then (it was night by the time we hit Indy) we decided to continue on. Once we got on 74, however, the message had changed. Now, the message was warning that the road was closed ahead. Sure enough, up ahead, we could see brake lights ahead, where traffic was stopped.

I indicated that there was a roadblock ahead and that we needed an alternate route. The software instructed us to exit at the next exit (which was fortunately before the stopped traffic) and then routed us down a frontage road and through a small town, before taking us back to the interstate. Along the way, we saw a very long line of cars just parked on the interstate. Had we not navigated around the area, we wouldTomTom Navigator 6 have set on the interstate for probably hours. As it was, our detour added 6 minutes to our trip.

Further, if I did not have the GPS, we would never have found our way back to the interstate in any reasonable length of time. All in all, it was a huge time saver for us. Plus, it was unbelievably simple to use.

When we arrived at our destination, I had to stop at the rental office to pick up keys to our cabin as well as directions. Unfortunately, the map that the rental office provided was poorly designed, not to scale, and difficult to follow. Fortunately, however, all that I had to do was enter the address in my GPS and it led me to the front door of the cabin. Without the GPS, however, we would likely have wandered around the mountain for quite a while looking for the cabin.

In sum,  I love the convenience of being able to carry the GPS with me at all times. I also love the simple interface provided by the TomTom software. The maps are accurate and easy to use. I would recommend this set up to anyone who uses a compatible device.

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A New Member to My Household

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This week I gained a new member in my Household: A Dell Latitude D630. My D600 was 4+ years old and had starting having problems. The optical drive did not work unless you taped it shut, the internal wireless card stopped working, the power button did not work well, and the touchpad was kind of touchy.  And those are just some of the problems that I was having. Thus, it was time to get a new one.

Dell Latitude D630I was really pleased with how well my old Latitude held up. Despite the problems I was having just recently, I have no complaints about the machine. I take it with me almost everywhere I go. Given the amount of traveling it did, I am pretty impressed that it lasted as long and as well as it did.

The 630 is a nice improvement over the 600. In addition to the increase in speed because of the faster processor and more RAM, it also incorporates some additional features. Perhaps my favor thing is that Dell has added two additional USB ports. My 600 had only two ports in the back. My 630 has two in the back plus two on the right side beside the opitcal drive. I am a USB device junkie. I can never have enough USB ports. It also has a Firewire port. Now I just have to find something to plug into it.

Although it can be a bit of a pain to transfer to a new computer,  this transfer went relatively painless (despite the fact that it was time consuming). Nevertheless, I am quite happy to welcome my new laptop to the family.

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Freedom 2000 GPS and TomTom Navigator 6: A Great Combination

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For quite a while I have wanted a GPS. This desire comes not from the fact that I tend to get lost, but instead from the fact that I think they are really cool. One drawback was that I really didn’t want to have to keep track of another device and have to decide whether to take it with me everyday or leave it at home. Despite the coolness factor, it seemed like a bit of a hassle.

For my birthday, however, I recently received the most hassle free GPS I can imagine. It isFreedom 2000 GPS the Freedom Keychain GPS 2000. This device is only the GPS receiver. To use it, you must connect it to your Treo via Bluetooth. Also, the device comes with no maps. You have to decide on your own what maps you wish to use.

What makes the Freedom absolutely hassle free is the fact that it is tiny (it weighs .77 oz). In fact, it is smaller than the key fob for my wife’s car. It charges via a mini USB port (all devices should have to do this) and it comes with a car charger. The battery life is 9 hours and my use of it shows that this is likely the case.

TomTom Navigator 6To be able to get around, I need more than the GPS, however, I also need the software that goes with with it. The map data is not cheap. However it is available from a variety of companies, most of which produce versions compatible with a Treo. In my case, I first tried DeLorme’s Street Atlas USA. After trying it for a few days, I didn’t like the interface that it had with my Treo. Thus, I returned it, and bought TomTom Navigator 6.

I love this software. It was easy to install and it works flawlessly on my Treo. Also, it integrated easily with the Freedom GPS and I have had no connection problems between the two devices at all.

The aspect about this solution that I love the most is that I have a full GPS solution, yet the only additional thing that I am carrying with me is a key fob. How great is that.

I bought my copy of Navigator 6 from Amazon and saved a few bucks over the price direct from TomTom.

I plan on doing a more in depth review of the Navigator software later. In the meantime, you can find a great review on the Freedom GPS at Treonauts. You can find a review of the earlier version of the Freedom at treocentral.

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Has Mark Cuban Been Converted?

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I have always believed that Apple does not have customers. They have converts. In fact, I often refer to Apple fans as Macvangelists. It looks like Mark Cuban has now started drinking the Kool Aid. I can see why, of course. both the new MacBook Air and the iPod Touch are beautiful devices.

Of course, I still think iTunes sucks.

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Finally: A Dell Convertible

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Dell Latitude XTI received great news this week. Dell is finally releasing a convertible tablet notebook. The Latitude XT. The problem, of course, is that it is pricey $2499 for the least expensive option with a 1.06 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, and a 40 GB hard drive.

One cool thing about it is that it comes standard with Microsoft Windows XP rather than Vista.

Equipping the mid tier model with the things that I want (120 GB Hard Drive, Bluetooth, 2GB RAM) raises the price to $3,203. These are great looking machines and I would love to have a convertible. However, when a comparaby equipped Latitude D630 costs about half of that ($1,617) I have to question the additional expense to upgrade to the XT.

On the other hand, the XT certainly is appealing. I would love to get my hands on one.

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Is Your Keyboard Dirty?

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Everyone once in while I notice that my keyboard gets a little dirty and key may start sticking. When that happens, I get out my can of compressed air and blow the dust and stuff out of my keyboard.

For those of you who really like a clean keyboard, however, Scott Moschella of Plastic Bugs tells us how he got his keyboard really clean: He put it in the dishwasher. I don’t know that I would recommend this approach, however it worked for him.

As he explained:

Last Monday, I spilled beer on my keyboard and received the Dishwasher advice from two very tech-savvy people.

Today, I can report that not only will the keyboard come out clean, but it will probably work once it dries completely. Every key on the keyboard works and feels just right – the Caps Lock light even works! This ‘hack’ is not for the weakhearted, and I would probably avoid putting a $100+ keyboard in the dishwasher. But if you don’t have any other options, it’s a pretty good bet.

So if your keyboard is real dirty and you would otherwise have to replace the keyboard, this might not be a bad option for you.

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Scrolling with MoGo

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Last year I bought my wife a MoGo Mouse. The great thing about this mouse is that it stores and recharges in your laptopsMoGo Mouse PC card slot. This means that you always have your mouse with your laptop. Plus, it is always charged. The MoGo connects to your laptop via Bluetooth. Thus, if you have Bluetooth built in your laptop, you can easily carry and use the mouse without adding any extra bulk to what you carry.

The only drawback to the mouse is that it does not contain a scrollwheel (the new version contains a scroll wheel). Once you get used to using a scroll wheel, it is difficult to use a mouse without one. Thus, despite having this cool, easily transportable mouse, my wife wasn’t using it much.

Fortunately, Jeff Beard at LawTech Guru has come to my rescue. He has posted a portable mouse roundup that is very informative. If fact, if you are in the market for a portable mouse, I recommend that you read his post. In his post he mentions that MoGo now offers scrolling software for its mouse.

Following the link, I find that, sure enough, you can download the software from MoGo that allows you to scroll simply by holding down your left mouse button and dragging your mouse. It’s certainly not as elegant as a scroll wheel, but it is definitely better than nothing. As Jeff points out, MoGo’s software is old software revived by a MoGo user looking for a solution to the absence of a scroll wheel.