The VuPoint Solution Magic Wand Portable Scanner lets you scan documents, photos, receipts, etc. anywhere and save them on a Micro SD card. You choose between 300 x 300 dpi standard resolution and 600 x 600 dpi high resolution. You copy in color or black and white (monochrome). Setting up the Magic Wand is very easy. Insert the batteries, which are included, scan the white sheet of paper (also included) until the green light goes out to indicate the device is calibrated. Then starting scanning. Outside of being a little lopsided, because I didn’t scan in a straight line, my first scan was really good. This is a perfect, inexpensive device that will let you turn stacks of documents into organized digital files. Scan just the portion of a book you need. Or a recipe from a cookbook. It features a Contact Image Sensor, scanning status LCD display and Optical Character Recognition software. Scan speed is about 13 seconds for high resolution with color and 3 for standard with color. Your speed may vary. The Magic Wand supports Micro SD cards up to 32GB (card not included). Works with Windows / Mac OS 10.4 or above. The kit includes USB cable, software, carrying pouch and 2 AA batteries. Although there are a few other mini portable scanners on the market, this one does an excellent jou and  retails for less than $100. Available on the web, or at Bed, Bath & Beyond. $99.99.

That MAD Magazine cover is my first scan with the Magic Wand. Pretty good!

Company website: http://vupointsolutions.com/DEMO_MW.asp

Hear or SEE this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1133

Avoid overweight luggage charges at the airport.

The innovative new Travelite Luggage Scale is the compact way to ensure luggage meets airline weight guidelines. (This gizmo is a Magellans Catalog exclusive.) It’s easy to know exactly what your bags weigh before you head to the airport with the FlightLite. (Be sure to check your carrier’s website to see exactly how many pounds are allowed per piece. You'll most likely pay for each piece of luggage, but on top of that fee can be overweight charges! The weight allowance is usually different for domestic & International flights.) This FlightLite scale's unique T-bar design makes it easier to lift and weigh luggage, even heavy luggage. Just thread the sturdy nylon strap through your luggage handle, secure with the quick-release buckle, and lift. The digital read-out window is positioned conveniently right in the handle. Although it will give you the exact weight in pounds, a red LED indicates that your bag is over 50 lb; a green LED means it's under 50 lb. (50 pounds is the weight allowed for International flights on many airlines at the time of writing.) Weighs luggage up to 100 lb/44kg. Another nice feature is a built-in 6-LED flashlight. Batteries included. (5½" long; 1¼" dia; 7 oz) Under $25.

http://tinyurl.com/5kqtn8

Hear or SEE this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1134

Make your netbook a lot more like a notebook.

For a netbook to be small, many features have to be left out. But help is here. The Aegis NetDock is a smart-looking Plug N Play device that adds back many of those missing features. Just plug this device into AC power and then into your netbook via a USB cable. Almost instantly you’ve added 4 additional USB ports and a large 500 GB hard drive! But wait there’s more!  When I first opened the box to remove the unit I saw an installation DVD and thought: “Well this is dumb. Netbooks don’t have a DVD drive to install software. Then I realized this slim, trim unit has a built in dual layer DVD burner. Nice! Another nice feature is how the four additional USB ports are set up. Two of them are constantly powered. That means you can charge your phone or other USB gadgets even when the netbook is shut off or asleep. Or even disconnected. Of course the NetDock must be plugged into AC power. Speaking of power, the Aegis NetDock has an automatic “ON” and “OFF” feature tied to the power switch of the connected netbook. It powers up when the netbook goes on and powers down when your netbook goes to sleep. A non-slip rubber stand is included if you want to save desktop office space and stand the NetDock on end. It ships with CD/DVD burning software, VLC Media Player, and Microsoft sync software. The MSRP of the NetDock w/o a hard drive is $89. (If you have a  2.5-inch drive sitting around, you can install it yourself. You only have to remove one screw for the NetDock to open. Then connect your drive to the SATA connector, secure it with a couple of screws, put the cover back on, and you're ready to save lots of stuff.) With a 500 GB hard drive pre-installed, it’s $179.00. A 250 GB model is $149. When this was written 7/18/10, there’s a rebate on the company website. Go here for details: 

http://www.apricorn.com/product_detail.php?type=family&id=64   

Hear or SEE this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1136

A really decent photo frame for under $25.

Coby has been making really nice electronic gizmos at a very reasonable price. (Their under $30 CAM3000 Mini Digital Camcorder is an excellent example. See the link below for more info.) The Coby (DP356WH) 3.5" Digital Picture Frame With Alarm Clock is one of their newest devices to offer a lot of features for the money. It offers an easy and convenient way to display digital photos of your friends, relatives, pets, etc. without a computer. The built-in memory card reader is compatible with Secure Digital memory cards, even SDHC cards up to 32GB. You can download the photos onto the SD card using your computer and play them back on the frame. Or you can use Coby’s onboard USB port to download photos from your computer to the card docked in the frame. It's high-tech, fashionable design and display options make it a great for home or office. And it even has an alarm clock to keep you on time! And a snooze alarm too. The 3.5-inch TFT LCD screen displays JPEG photo files and it can play MP3 and WMA Music files. You can even have a photo slideshow with background music from your music files. But wait there’s more! There’s even a calendar display function. The frame is available in black, white, red, blue. MSRP is $29.99, but it’s under $25 at Adorama. 

http://www.adorama.com/CYDP356RD.html?utm_source=gbase&utm_medium=Shopping%20Site&utm_campaign=Other&utm_term=Other 

Hear or SEE this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1138 

The Coby CAM3000 SNAPP Mini Digital Camcorder/Camera

An easy way to make sure you take your pills on time.

I bet you’ve asked yourself that question anytime you needed to take pills at certain intervals. An simple way to remember to take your medicine is to use The Pill Timer. It’s an easy to use medication management system designed to help people, patients, and care­givers get the full benefits from their prescription medications. You program it for prescribed regimen interval – by pushing a button on the cap to tell it you need to take a pill say - every 2, 4, 6, 8 hours, etc. Once programmed, an alarm sounds for 20 seconds when it’s time to take a pill. Along with the alarm, a red light flashes for one minute when dosage is due. When you take off the cap to take your pill, the timer automatically resets to 0:00. That way you can easily see how long it’s been since you took your last pill. There’s an hourly reminder alarm and the LCD continues to blink if the dosage is missed. Pill Timer can help you prevent accidental under and over dosing. The battery is not replaceable, but the company says it’s guaranteed to last for at least 3 months. My guess is that the battery will last a lot longer, but the company wants to make sure you don’t use the cap battery too long, which could make the timer not operate properly. Luckily the The Pill Timer is under $5 and comes with USP approved prescription vial. $4.95 

http://www.medtimetechnology.com/product.html 

Hear or SEE this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1139