Daily Archives: 13/02/2008

Products

Plustek OpticFilm 7300 Film Scanner

Anyone have any experience with one of these…

Plustek OpticFilm 7300 Film Scanner

This high resolution film scanner now comes with enhanced Multi-Sampling and Multi-Exposure for better quality images…

The Plustek OpticFilm 7300 is a dedicated 7200 dpi film scanner, now bringing you a more powerful scanning device with its added Multi-Exposure for negative film and also the Multi-Sampling functions bringing out the best quality on photos and images at the most affordable price.

Plustek OpticFilm 7300 bundles the latest LaserSoft Imaging’s SilverFast 6.5 SEPlus (MultiExposure) software. The SilverFast 6.5 SEPlus (MultiExposure) software enhanced with powerful Multi-Exposure, Automatic Frame Detection, , SilverFast-Basic, NegaFix, Selective Colour Correction, Auto Adjust, USM, plus many many more. (For more information, please visit www.SilverFast.com)

Specification:

* Interface: USB 2.0
* Technology: Colour CCD image sensor
* Hardware Resolution: 7200 x 7200 dpi
* Dmax: 3.5
* Max. scanning area: 36.8 x 25.4 mm (1.45 “x 1″) for Negatives
* Preview Speed: 6.25 sec (positive film), 8.72 sec (negative film) without calibration
* Scan Speed: Approx. 87 sec (3600 dpi), 226 sec (7200 dpi) for colour slide
* Hardware Multi-Exposure on negative film: Yes
* Multi-Sampling: Yes
* Colour Depth: 48 bit/pixel
* Scan Mode: Single Pass
* Lamp: Cold Cathode
* Illuminated Slide Viewer Size: 38x38mm
* Dimensions(D x W x H) : 272 x 120 x 119 mm / 4.73″x10.7″x4.7″(scanner only)
* Net Weight: Approx. 1.5 kg / 3.1 lb (scanner only)
* Film Holder: Mounted slides, up to 4 slides
* Filmstrip: up to 6 frames
* Regulatory Certificates: CE, FCC, UL/cUL, TUV, BSMI
* Comes complete with :
* Padded Carry Bag
* Negative and Positive film holder
* Plustek Setup/Application CD-ROM SilverFast CD-ROM
* Quickguide
* USB cable – 150cm (59.05”)
* Power Adaptor: Output 15V, 1.0A

System Requirements:

* IBM Compatible PC, with Pentium III or faster CPU
* CD-ROM Drive
* One available USB Port
* 512 MB RAM
* 500 MB free HDD space
* High Colour graphic card (VGA or higher)
* Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP / Vista Compatible
* **** Please note this is minimum requirement only. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to use a higher performance computer.

OLPC

OLPC admin is non-obvious…

So I’ve had the OLPC for a couple of weeks. I love it but there is something worrying me at the back of my mind. Last night as the latest 180Mb of bug fixes for the MacBook arrived it hit me.

There is no way for the OLPC to be low maintenance.

Let me explain. Apparently, there is a firmware update but I’m unsure which one and how to apply it. I’m sure that the response is on the Wiki but it’s not clear where I should look.

I’ve updated to build 656 of the OS (I think) but that took a couple of hours of hunting and understanding.  Once I’d found it and understood it was easy but it took a while. I’ve a friend in the US and he needs to update for his wi-fi connection to work. I can’t say to him launch the OLPC and press button X.

All this reminds me a bit of my Windows PC at home. I spend hours working (after all it’s work) on the PC ensuring that it works, is backed up, and up-to-date.

The OLPC misses an idiot option; not because its users are idiots but because not everyone has the time to invest in keeping up to date.

I know that the response from the project will be that this isn’t intended to be a consumer product. They’re right. However, not ever user in the field is going to have the time either from day one. I think there is a possibility that you’re making the learning curve too steep.

All this said. I love my OLPC (or is it my daughters?)

IT, Technology, UK, US

The future of Amazon…

Nicolas Carr makes a series of good points…

“Amazon isn’t about to close down its physical warehouses, of course. But its digital warehouses could eventually become the center of its business. That may be good news from a financial perspective. Amazon has invested a great deal of money and ingenuity into fine-tuning its physical logistics operation, and that operation has given it an edge in online retailing, but the cost of storing, handling, and shipping physical goods has always been a drag on its profitability. That cost largely disappears when customers buy products as bits rather than atoms.”

Rough Type: Nicholas Carr’s Blog: Amazon’s river of bits

How about another plan? Amazon could spin off the logistics business. Remember, they have non-Amazon clients on their books. Once they reach a critical mass they could spin off the physical business and concentrate on the bits and bytes.

This also raises the possibility that the logistics business could be worth far more to FedEx, UPS and the others than as a seperate company.