Category Archives: Products

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.

Products, Technology

Management vs. Design

“I think a lot of these MBA-type executives have no idea what good design really is.”

 Daring Fireball Linked List: February 2008

 

Actually, I know that they know what god design is and can even recognize it when they see it.  However, the reflex responses of “that’s cool” and “that feels good” have been beaten out of them. The standard management approach to most issues is a functional list, a fit analysis and a market report. Watching the response to the iPhone in corporate world has been an education. I’ve seen tens of conversations that go…

 “..but it’s not 3G”

“yeah, but it’s works…”

“…but it doesn’t connect to our email”

“yeah, but its just better”

 

Normally, both parties leave the room shaking their heads.The difference between the ones that “get it” and those that don’t? Those that get it have experience!

Products, Technology

Apple – Find Out How

Great new web site from Apple about how to use a Mac…

Apple – Find Out How – Mac OS X – Get Started With Mac – Move to Mac

However, why can’t I subscribe? Why aren’t they podcasts?

Argh!

LeWeb3, Products, Technology

This could be massive…

Apparently is going to launch into Open Science…

Google To Become Open Source Science Repository

At Le Web 3 in 2006 Hans Rosling made a call for all data to be open and for someone to build better tools to analyze the data. He’s now at Google and in his 2007 keynote he talked about the need for technical people and presenters (he classed himself as a presenter). It seems that he’s getting his wish; this really could be a world changing project!

Wonder if they’re hiring!

Products, Technology, Uncategorized

Google to “open” Facebook…

2008 is supposed to be the year that Google takes on Facebook; there is the hidden assumption behind this statement that it’s not taking on Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and the whole mobile phone industry.

First, Open Social tries to move widgets and social network applications out from the individual network and onto the web.

Then the crystal ball watchers see that Gmail may offer Friend Updates. Gmail To Offer Friend Updates?

That’s a good start they’d then have a way of publishing status and a way of moving applications out of the silos, however the third leg of the stool is getting the information out of the various silos. And then Spokeo comes along…

How to Change the World: Reality Check: Spokeo

Products, Technology, UK

Social Networks in the UK

While visiting the UK a few years ago I was amazed that all everyone talked about (except for the weather and house prices) was a web site called friendsreunited.co.uk.

The point of that web site was to link up with old long lost friends; it seemed at the time that the country was doing nothing with it’s time except looking up ex-girlfriends.  Even my parents had created accounts which is massive.

TechCrunch UK  now reports that the country is hooked on Facebook…

TechCrunch UK » Facebook leads the rise of social nets in UK, but niche players have a window

Can someone please do a social study on why the British are so easily hooked on social networks? Is it related to tea consumption?

What happened to FriendsReunited.co.uk? Does anyone still use it?

IT, News, OLPC, Products, Technology

OLPC sales figures announced…

OLPC campaign nets $35 million; 100,000 units go to emerging markets | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

I’d say that selling 200,000 laptops that nobody had seen was a great start.

However, I maintain that they need to sell them outside the US and that they need more than a limited time offer.

Products, Technology, Uncategorized

Facebook starts to putting users first or…

…maybe they’re just going to make money by charging to send users emails.

“Starting today, we’ll begin blocking links in Mini-Feed, Notifications, and Notification Emails which lead to the installation of another application in the hopes that developers focus on user experience and engagement being paramount, not deceiving users for the sake of growth.

Happy Hacking!”

Facebook Developers | Facebook Developers News

IT, Products, US

It’s not just Apple…

Dave Winer is taking on Apple’s hard disk policy. The fact that they keep the hard drives is upsetting him.

“It’s amazing to me that the tech blogosphere doesn’t treat Apple’s policy re broken hard disks as the huge gaping security hole that it is.” from It’s a security issue, folks (Scripting News)

I’d not thought about it before but this is industry standard practice. Most hardware manufacturers exchange hard drives for corporate clients every day. There is Peta-bytes of data walking out of offices around the world every day.

Products, US

Beta Engineering

There has been a bit of fuss on the blogs because it seems that Tesla is going to be shipping with a “beta” version of their transmission that they’ll have to replace within the year.

Tesla’s Chairman and New CEO Talk Transmission Snags and Raising Another $40M « Earth2Tech

It raises the obvious question “how many other cars have shipped with beta components”. Here’s my experience…

Many years ago I bought a Smart. At the time the initial wave of optimism (mainly pre-launch) had worn off and the company looked in trouble. In the empty showroom near the Eiffel Tower (actually in the 16th) they tried to give the impression that they were going places but it was obvious that the business plan was in trouble.

The result was that they offered us an amazing deal to lease the car and not buy it; we had the cash but they wanted to sell zero percent credit at all costs!

About two months later we took the car back for a service. It took two days for them to replace the tyres, shock absorbers, reprogram the engine management system, replace the wind screen wipers and, interestingly, replace part of the gearbox!

This must be a common practice in the industry to get the cars out the door.