A SCANNER WITH GREAT LOOKS
 You've seen one flat-bed scanner and you've seen them all, right? Wrong. When I first saw the new Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 4670, I didnąt even know what it was, but I knew that I wanted one. It 's unlike any scanner you've ever seen and it looks like something you'd see in a Museum of Modern Art catalog.
Most flatbed scanners resemble a copy machine in that you raise a lid to reveal a glass surface onto which you position the document to be scanned. Activate the scanner and a light tube passes beneath the glass plate and a scanned image appears on the screen. From there, you can save it to disk, print it, fax it or do whatever you want. And while you can do the same thing with anything scanned by the 4670, its differences lie in how it scans as well as its appearance.
The first thing you notice while you're trying to figure out what it is in the first place, is that the unit sits at a vertical angle on your table. In fact, the 4670 looks much like a picture frame. The rectangular device frames a glass panel through which you can see whatever is behind it. Leaning back at around a 45 degree angle, a single metal leg acts as a support stand while a smaller metal leg rests in front of the unit. The frame also sports the unit's four control buttons and indicator lights. The buttons are Power Save, Scan, Copy and Launch Instant Share which is part of the software suite that is included with the scanner.
When I realized the device wasn't one of those digital electronic picture frames, I considered it may be some new kind of flat screen monitor. But when I discovered it to be a scanner, it wasn't immediately apparent as to how it worked. The 4670 opens in a mouth-like fashion by lifting the frame. Revealing a backrest onto which the document to be scanned is inserted, you place the document between the front and back of the frame and then close the unit. Unlike conventional scanners, you can see the document to be scanned at all times during the scanning process.
This scanner isn't just another pretty face. The scan resolution is 2400 by 2400 dots-per-inch and offers 48 bit color depth. It supports the newer USB 2.0 standard and weighs in at around 3 pounds.
If you're in the market for a new scanner and you want something that sees things in a different way, then the ScanJet 4670 has your name all over it.
When available, the ScanJet 4670 will be compatible with Windows and Macintosh OS X systems. $199.99.
You can put your finger on it.
 If you're looking for a novel way to protect the contents on your computer, then I'd like to point out the Sony FIK-600 Fingerprint Identification System, and the Puppy Suite software that makes it work with a Macintosh running OS X. If you're prone to forgetting passwords, this James Bond kind of access method is both reliable and secure. Simply place your fingertip on the small scanner surface. The device will determine if it's really you and if so, you can begin your work. If it's someone else, they won't be able to access your computer.
The tiny unit attaches to your Mac via any available USB port. Attach it and run the installation software. The ID unit is equipped with the intelligence to recognize and store your fingerprints on the device itself and not in the computer. This adds, according to its manufacturer, a higher degree of security and privacy.
But all that aside, it's just plain cool to sit at your computer and be granted access by merely placing your fingertip on that Puppy. $159. A Windows version is available from SonyStyle.com. for $139.99.
puppysuite.pspinc.com |
