Device sniffs out wireless connections
Travelers looking to connect to the Internet on the run can hunt down wireless hot spots with ZyXEL’s Wi-Fi finder. Not only does the Universal Serial Bus device locate all 802.11a and 802.11b/g access points within range, but it also displays security details and signal strengths for the hot spots on its liquid crystal display. Thanks to a built-in battery, it can hunt for hot spots even when the computer is turned off. It can also turn your computer into an instant wireless access point. About the same size as a pack of gum, the AG-225H model costs $100.
www.us.zyxel.com
Electronic Bible for iPod
The iPocketBible New Living Translation Edition gives biblical scholars a handy way to read and listen to the Scriptures on their iPods.
Radio announcer Mike Kellogg narrates the MP3 recordings, which also feature original music and sound effects. The program’s verse and subject index allows readers to start at any book in the Bible and link the text to the audio so they can listen while they read.
The five-CD set contains the audio and text version of the complete New Living Translation (Tyndale House Publishers, 1996). It costs $50.
www.laridian.com
Tuning in on your PC
You can find, play and record your favorite radio tunes through your PC with Magix’s Webradio Recorder. The software title contains more than 2,000 preset radio channels, plus tools for locating and adding more channels. You can set it to automatically record specific songs or artists, or simply select “record” when you hear a song you like.
Thanks to an active background recording cache, the entire song will be saved even if you don’t decide to record it until it’s halfway over. You can improve the sound of the recordings by eliminating radio chatter and crackling noises. The recordings can be saved in popular formats, including MP3 and WAV, and can be moved to portable music players or burned onto audio discs. It costs $30.
www.magix.com
Turn old negatives into digital pictures
Want to turn piles of old negatives into a digital format that can easily be shared with other family members? Epson’s Perfection 3590 Photo scanner can speed up the task. With its automatic film loader, you can scan and view stacks of 35-millimeter film strips. The machine also can scan in photos with a top resolution of 3,200 by 6,400 dots per inch. It costs $150. Another film-loader model, the Epson Perfection 4490 Photo, features a resolution of 4,800 by 9,600 dpi, a one-touch color-restoration button and tools for digitally removing dust and scratches from scanned images of old photos. It costs $250.
www.epsonstore.com
