BookReader transforms text into MP3 files to make reading fun, entertaining and overall less work

CERRITOS, Calif. (February 24, 2009) – Plustek Technology Inc., a manufacturer of consumer, professional and office imaging devices, announced today the BookReader that transforms printed words into audio output, which can be saved in MP3 format for future access. With the press of one button the Plustek BookReader will convert printed text into high quality speech with a lifelike voice.

The BookReader comes with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and Text to Speech (TTS) software, to copy and “read” the documents scanned into the BookReader. The user simply places a book or document on the screen and at the press of a button, the book is scanned for reading pleasure. One more touch of a button and the BookReader transforms printed words into audio output, which can be saved in MP3 format for future access. The BookReader’s printed words into MP3 capability is designed for every age; parents who want to give their children the option to listen to books instead of just music, adults who wish to enjoy reading while driving or multi-tasking, and busy executives or medical professionals who find it easier to listen to their books and documents when they don’t have the time to read. The BookReader also comes with bundled software to provide the highest quality of lifelike voices making every listening experience enjoyable. The unit is competitively priced at $699, and comes with the English and Spanish Bilingual Package (English and French Bilingual Package when purchased in Canada), with additional fees to add more languages.

Sales/Purchase

The BookReader is available immediately. Plustek products can be purchased through their distribution channel via D&H, Ingram Micro, and other major DMRs and e-tailers such as PC Mall, NewEgg, Tiger Direct, Amazon and Buy.com. Solution providers and stores interested in carrying Plustek’s award-winning line-up of products may contact Plustek directly at InfoUSA@plustek.com.

ABOUT PLUSTEK

A Leader in Scanner Technology – Plustek Technology Inc. is a leading manufacturer of sheet fed and multifunction scanners. In business since 1986, Plustek delivers a wide range of document scanners meeting diverse decentralized and distributed capture needs for different applications and vertical industries. Plustek solutions comprise portable, mobile, workgroup, departmental to low volume production scanners. With two decades of expertise in scanner design and manufacturing, Plustek continues a tradition of innovative design, superior quality, product durability and world-class support.

BookReader V100 – front view (by Plustek Technologies, Inc.).jpg

BookReader V100 – angle view (by Plustek Technologies, Inc.).jpg

Patented “PPC Locking HDMI Cable” Holds 3X Stronger for Non-Interference HDTV –

Just Plug-In, No Adapter Needed

January 5, 2009, East Syracuse, NY – PPC, the proven leader in the design and manufacture of connectors for the telecommunications, satellite and wireless industries with the most patents in connector technology worldwide, announced today that it will be debuting the first HDMI locking cable available on the market, the “PPC Locking HDMI Cable,” at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held this week in Las Vegas.

PPC Patented Technology for Pure HDTV

The PPC Locking HDMI Cable is an industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface, providing a connection between any audio/video source (set-top box, DVD player, A/V receiver, DTV, etc.) over a single cable. The PPC Locking HDMI Cable features exclusive patented technology to hold it onto a port with a strength that is three times greater than found in conventional connectors. The PPC cable minimizes loosening and fall-out, thereby providing the most reliable, highest quality, pure HDTV video resolution and digital audio quality that customers expect.

No Adapter Needed – Easy to Install

With Category 2 cable status, PPC’s Locking HDMI Cable delivers 1080p – the best HDTV experience with no adapter or additional hardware needed. Its professional grade status ensures customers are getting the highest picture quality available. Easy to install, The PPC HDMI Locking Cable’s Perfect Flex ™ jacket and flexible cable provide push button operation and easy installation, with no tools required to install.

Priced starting at $48.99, the PPC HDMI Locking Cable features:

* Patented locking device reduces fallout, providing a more reliable signal.
* Push-button operation – easy-to-use release tab prevents port damage.
* Perfect Flex jacket and flexible cable – no tools required to install, engage or release for easy installation.
* 100 percent foil coverage and braided shielding to eliminate interference.
* Requires no adapter, no additional hardware, no adhesives or modifications.
* Elegant & intuitive design.
* HDMI compliant – backwards compatible with all HDMI spec ports.

“For 65 years, PPC has built its reputation on finding innovative solutions and providing real value to our customers,” said Andy White, Vice President, Retail and Satellite, PPC. “With our exclusive HDMI Locking Cable, the first available on the market, we’ve come up with a product HDTV customers have been waiting for.”

The PPC HDMI Locking Cable is available immediately online at the companies website, priced at

$48.99 for the 3 foot cable, $59.99 for the 6 foot cable, and $72.99 for the 12 foot cable. For more information, see the PPC site or phone: 315-431-7200 800-800-6652.

About PPC

With more patents in connector technology than any other company worldwide, PPC has pioneered many of the advancements available in the industry today and is a proven leader in the design and manufacture of connector technology for the telecommunications, satellite and wireless industries around the globe. PPC’s innovations include the Universal Compression Connector, widely used by all major cable TV and satellite companies; the wireless compression connector for the wireless industry, and the only locking HDMI connector. Headquartered in E. Syracuse, NY, PPC also has locations in Denmark, St. Kitts, and China. For more information, visit www.ppc-online.com.

PPC Locking HDMI Cable

PPC Locking HDMI Cable

Web cameras have been around for a while and most of the time they are used for chatting online and other stuff like that. However, I have never tried using a web camera as a home security device. The Zonet ZVC7630 camera has several features that could make it great for security because it works in the day and night and has two-way audio capabilities.

Features

• Two-way voice communication
• Capture video in low-light environment
• Motion Detection 3 scalable windows
• Supports Web configuration with password protection
• 640 x 480 Resolution

Night vision is an essential security feature. Since humans cannot see very well in the dark it is a good time for people to sneak around. If you are going to see these people you need to be able to see in the dark. Because of the ability to see in low-light environments, this camera is perfect outside. However, the camera is not weather proof so it must be kept in protected areas like under the eves of a house.

Two-way voice communication is great because you no longer have to yell through the door to talk to the person on the other side. This also means that you could be in another part of your house and still see and talk to who is at your door or gate.

The 640 x 480 resolution that this camera provides is great for transmitting across a network. It should provide a good balance between performance and quality.

The Zonet ZVC7630 is also web enabled. When you plug it into your network it will be assigned an IP address. If you visit that IP address with a browser then you can view the image, zoom and activate night vision. With this ability you can view your camera even when you are not home.

Each camera has its own web page. Through the web pages you can control nearly every aspect of the cameras functionality. The web page allows you to see the cameras video and hear the audio, if you have a microphone attached to your computer you can even talk through the camera using the web page. These pages are also the only access to many of the cameras internal settings. Using the setup pages you can configure the cameras IP address, name, internal time and date, set recording schedules, turn on and off motion detection, and setup email and FTP accounts for uploading images from the camera.

Setup network

Setup system

Setup Date and Time

Setup motion detect

Setup FTP

Setup email

The camera comes with some software called UltraView. With this software you can view up to 16 cameras at the same time. This software is not required for using the camera or any of its functionality, it is only needed if you have more than one camera because it makes viewing and managing multiple cameras easier.

UltraView main

UltraView 4x

UltraView 9x

UltraView 16x

The UltraView software also provides the ability to record video. There are three different ways to record video. You can click the record or record all button. This will record a video and not stop until you click the button again or you run out of space. You can also set up a schedule for recording. This way, if you only want to record a couple of times a day, and on certain days it can easily be setup. The third way to record is to setup a motion recording. This will cause the camera to record whenever it detects motion.

Motion detection can be setup to start recording and to set off a beep or start playing music. This can be setup to act like a doorbell to let you know when someone is outside your door. This would not work very well if you are in an apartment building where people have to go past your door to get to your neighbors.

Design

The front of the camera has the lens in the middle. Surrounding the lens is a white dial that is used for manually focusing the camera. Around that are a series of IR lights and a light sensor that are used for low-light video. In the top right are two lights. The top one indicates power and the bottom one blinks when it has a good connection to your network.

Camera

The right side of the camera has a USB port and a small unmount button. The USB port is not for connecting the camera, to a computer instead you can connect a USB storage device to the camera. The unmount button is for disconnecting the USB device. The camera can be configured to use the USB storage for saving all the images and video it takes.

Side

The back has an audio out jack for external speakers, power plug, and Ethernet.

Back

Performance

The cameras performance is all about how good the video looks and how well all the features work.

The camera is capable of showing video in low light, and at night. There is a sensor on the front of the camera which detects the light level and automatically activates the low-light mode. When viewing video in low-light mode everything is in black and white and the center looks like it is lit up. Low-light mode looks really good and things are clearly visible even when there is almost no light available.

UltraView camera

UltraView camera night

The camera has a manual focus and this can be a pain if you move the camera because the only way you can tell if the camera is in focus is to look at it through a computer. If you don’t have a laptop then you have to make a small adjustment and then go look at it from a computer, then go back and make another adjustment. This process can take a really long time, if you have two people it could go a lot faster. I think an auto-focus or the ability to change the focus from the software would be a huge benefit.

You can view the camera through a browser. The camera supports most major browsers, I tried it out on both IE and Firefox. Using IE I had access to the full functionality of the camera, but if I used Firefox I lost out on the zoom, record, snapshot, browse, talk, and listen functionality.

IE browser

Firefox Browser

The camera does not have a built-in speaker so if you want to be able to talk to people through the camera you must attach it to external speakers through the audio out jack. For reasons I will explain below, you will want to have speakers that have their own volume controls. This can make setting up the camera outside a little more difficult because you have to find a place for speakers, and a plug for power. One problem I found while using the camera in my office is that any sound coming out of your speakers will be sent back through the cameras microphone and it will be amplified. To explain this further, I setup the camera on my desk which is also where my speakers are located. If I turned on the ‘talk’ and ‘listen’ feature and then spoke, the sound would come out of my speaker and go into the camera microphone which would then come back out of my speaker and back into the cameras microphone. Each time the sound came out of my speakers it was amplified and the next time it would be louder. The key here is not to use the ‘listen’ and ‘talk’ functionality unless the camera is in another room or outside.

If you want to manage more than one camera you will need to install the UltraView software. UltraView installs quickly and is not difficult to use. Adding a camera is fairly straight forward. I did run into one small snag, the software recognized the camera, but when I tried to add it I was asked for a username and password, and the default was not recognized. However, after playing with it a bit and doing a factory reset things started working a lot better. The only complaint that I have about the software is that you cannot control the volume or gain of the audio you are sending and receiving. If you have speakers attached that do not have their own volume control then the sound comes out full blast and it can get distorted. It would also be nice to be able to adjust the gain so that you could filter out background noises.

Add camera

Add camera 2

Add camera error

With the motion detection feature you can setup the camera and software to do many different things. The camera and the UltraView software can use the motion detection in different ways. The software can be setup to play a sound and/or start recording video when something moves across the screen. It can also send an email indicating that motion was detected. You can even have the camera email you when it detects motion. Using the camera setups you can put images on any FTP server, network attached storage device, or send them in an email. All of these are great security features, and if you are buying this camera for security I highly recommend that you use them. I tested the FTP and email functionality and both worked great. Below is an email I got with a screenshot attached.

Motion capture email

The camera does a good job with picture quality and audio. The most glaring problem is that the video is a bit delayed, by a second or so, and the audio is even more delayed, by about 4 seconds or more. I am not sure if there is a way to improve the performance of the audio and video, and get them synced up better, but if there is I could not find it.

If you are thinking of buying this camera as a personal webcam for use in IM clients and such, then you should know that I could not find a way to get the camera to work with an IM client.

If you were setting up the camera in a remote location, you may want to consider getting the wireless version of this camera. The ZVC7630W is exactly the same as this one, except it has built in wireless so you don’t have to run an Ethernet cable to every cameras location.

Warranty and Support

Zonet offers a 1 year warranty. This is a very short warranty, but since there are really no moving parts there is nothing to wear out. This means the camera should last a long time if you take care of it.

Conclusion

I am happy with the camera, it has a lot of potential and uses on a home or small business network. I didn’t have any trouble getting any of the features to work. I was a little disappointed when I tried to get the two-way audio working and realized that the camera need external speakers, but that is easily overcome by adding speakers or you can choose not to use it. As always compare prices before purchasing.

Features

• True digital 2.1 stereo delivered through two tweeters and a sub-woofer (RMS)
• Unique EAVS® (Expanded Air Volume System) expands in use to provide impressive bass range and clarity
• Neodymium speaker magnets increase efficiency and reduce magnetic interference
• Integrated volume and on/off controls, plus EAVS® activation
• Connect to all portable media players (MP3, CD, DVD, MPEG4, Sony PSP) and laptops via 3.5mm jack audio cable (provided)
• Plays up to 24hrs with 4xAAA batteries (not included), AC adapter and protective travel-case included

The first thing you will notice is how small the Saitek A-200 speakers really are. It measures only 1.8 by 5.6 by 9.0 inches. Because it is so small it will easily fit inside a laptop bag or under your arm. Because of the size, I think most people will be surprised when they turn it on. As many of you know, in order to get full bass sound out of a subwoofer you need lots of air for the speaker to work with. Saitek came up with a very unique way to provide that space and keep the device compact. You turn on the speakers by pressing on the top. When you do this, the top will expand upwards about 3/4 of an inch to form a resonating chamber — which helps the bass to sound fuller. Saitek calls this the EAVS (Expanded Air Volume System). When you are ready to turn off the speakers you just press the top back down and it reverts back to is compact form and turns off automatically.

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In the effort to keep things simple Saitek did not provide a lot of buttons or connection options for the A-200 speakers. The only buttons are for volume, and the only audio connector is a 3.5-mm stereo mini plug. For most computers this will be just fine since audio output is already coming from a similar plug. If you want to hook this up to any other device that does not natively support 3.5-mm, then you will need a different cable that converts from your audio source to a 3.5-mm plug.

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There are two ways to power the Saitek A-200 speakers. You can use 4 AAA batteries or an included AC adapter. Saitek claims that the speakers will run for about 24 hours on batteries.

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Design

You may think that the design is a little odd; its overall shape is that of a triangle. This design works well because it is so compact and is easy to slip into a bag. The small shape also lets you tuck it away, but with the really classy design I don’t know why you would want to.

The Saitek A-200 speakers are finished in high-gloss black, because of this they pick up fingerprints easily. To help you keep it clean Saitek has included microfiber polishing cloth. The shiny look is really nice and it fits well with just about any other decorations. If you are carrying this around with you then you will want to make sure you keep it in its case. This will not only protect the finish, but it is padded so that if you drop it the case will absorb some of the impact.

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Performance

To test the performance of the Saitek A-200 speakers you really must listen to audio with them. Since most people will probably use them with a laptop or computer I wanted to test these while listening to music, video, and playing games. For their size they performed really well. You are not going to get any room-shaking bass from speakers this small, but you will be able to hear the difference when you turn the bass up. These speakers are an excellent replacement for built-in laptop speakers. Since I am not an Audiophile I will not give you any detailed analysis about how different musical instruments sounded, but I will say that keeping in mind their size, all types of music sounded rather good. If you need speakers for a large room or to cover loud noises, like a party, then you will need to find something else.

If you play a lot of games on your laptop you probably use headphones. If you use the built-in speakers you, like me, get frustrated when you cannot understand the speech or the more detailed sounds. The same is true if you watch videos on your laptop with the speakers. You are constantly leaning in or turning up the volume so that you can understand what is being said. If you use the A-200 speakers instead of the laptop speakers you will notice a huge improvement in the quality of the sound. I personally have tried watching a video with laptop speakers and with the Saitek A-200 speakers. I was very impressed and personally would never go back to just the laptop speakers.

The instructions to turn on the Saitek A-200 speakers simply say to press on the top and the speakers will turn on and the top will rise. When I first tried to turn these speakers on I did just that, and nothing happened. I had to double check that it was plugged in correctly because I expected to see the top mechanically rise up and the speakers turn on. After checking everything I tried pressing on the top again, nothing happened. I went back and re-read the manual to make sure I was doing everything correct. I was almost ready to break out my screwdriver and take the thing apart to see if it was broken. Instead I tried pressing again this time I really gave it a hard press. I had to press hard enough to cause the top to go down a little. This released the top and allowed the internal spring to raise the top, thus turning on the speakers. There isn’t a motor moving the top up and down. To turn it off you have to press the top down until it locks into place. It would be nice if the instructions had been a little clearer about this point.

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Conclusion

If you are looking for a well designed and good looking set of speakers and you are not expecting them to be room-shakers, then I think you will be very happy. I can highly recommend these speakers to anyone who is looking for portable speakers. They perform really well, they look great, and don’t cost an arm and a leg. Retail is $99 for the speakers but if you look around you can get them for much cheaper.

Features

• True digital 2.1 stereo delivered through two tweeters and a sub-woofer (RMS)
• LCD display and volume, play, skip, back, pause and stop buttons to control your PC
• Neodymium speaker magnets increase efficiency and reduce magnetic interference
• Reliable high-quality wireless link receives and controls audio within 30m range
• Connect to MP3, CD and portable media players via 3.5mm jack audio cable (provided)
• Plays for up to 24hrs with 4 x AA batteries (not included), AC adapter included

Wireless speakers are part of that panacea that all system builders are looking for. We have long been promised that we would be seeing wireless components and speakers that would connect to each other and leave us free of the tangle of wires that we see now. With the Saitek A-250 speakers we are one step closer to that promise. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth adapter can only be used on a Windows based PC. The speakers will be recognized automatically by the computer and give you full control over the music player on your computer. If you don’t have a Windows based PC or you just want to use these speakers with your MP3 player then there is also a 3.5-mm stereo mini plug.

The Saitek A-250 speakers are small and compact, but you will find it difficult to put these in a bag or carry them around because of their awkward size and design. If you are looking for portable speakers you may want to check out the Saitek A-200 Portable Speakers. Despite the compact size of the device you actually get decent sound. The A-250 features two 1 inch 1.5 W microdrives and a 2.8 inch 3 W woofer.

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There is a small LCD on the A-250 speakers that will give you information like battery level, Bluetooth operability, and volume level. There are also 6 buttons which perform several functions like Power, Volume, Play, and Forward/Reverse.

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The part that connects to the computer is really small and could easily be tucked away. It only has one button which activates it and installs the drivers on your computer. When you turn it on, the button will start to blink blue and will continue to blink until it finishes installing the drivers and makes a connection with the speakers. You must turn on the speakers before it will connect.

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One feature that I was really hoping these speakers would have is the ability to accept Bluetooth from other devices like a PDA or cellphone. It would be extremely useful to use these speakers wirelessly from some other Bluetooth enabled device. Unfortunately, it is linked specifically to the Bluetooth device that it came with and it does not accept any other signals.

Design

The design is that of a long tube. The colors are the same as the A-200, but these speakers are bigger and can produce much louder sounds. There are several buttons that I described above that allow you to interact with the computer without having to be at the computer

The A-250 is finished in high-gloss black; because of this it picks up fingerprints easily. To help you keep it clean Saitek has included microfiber polishing cloth. The shiny look is really nice and it fits well with just about any other decoration.

Performance

To test the performance of the Saitek a-250 speakers you really must listen to audio with them. Since most people will probably use them with a laptop or computer to listen to music around the house or office, I wanted to test these while listening to music. For their size they performed really well. You are not going to get any room-shaking bass from speakers this small, but you will be able to hear the difference when you turn the bass up. These speakers are an excellent set of wireless speakers. Since I am not an Audiophile I will not give you a detailed analysis about how different musical instruments sounded, but I will say that keeping in mind their size, all types of music sounded really good. If you need speakers for a large room or to cover loud noises, like a party, then you will need to find something else.

Most of you will not use these to play games with because you probably already have speakers that came with your computer. They are not portable enough to carry around with a laptop, so you won’t use them with that. Most likely you will connect them to a computer to play music in a room other then where the computer is. Saitek claims that you can move the A-250 speakers about 100 feet away from the base and still get a signal. This is true as long as you are not trying to go through concrete walls or through electronic interference that comes from power lines that run through walls.

When I first hooked up these speakers I already had Wondows Media Player opened. I could get sound from the speakers but I could not control WMP. I ended up having to close out of WMP, disconnect the Bluetooth device, and turn off the speakers. Then reconnect the Bluetooth device, turn on the speakers and then turn on WMP before it would work the correct way. I also found that it is really difficult to get the controls to work if you use a player other than WMP.

Conclusion

As long as you are not expecting these speakers to be room-shakers then I think you will be very happy. I can highly recommend these speakers to anyone that is looking for wireless speakers that are well designed and sound really good. They perform really well and they don’t cost an arm and a leg. Retail is $129 for the speakers but if you look around you can get them for much cheaper.