Offering vision in the storm’s wake
A software application developed by a Boulder company came to the rescue of residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina last year. VisionLink Inc. makes a Web-based program that enables organizations to share information. The company’s program, Tapestry, was used by the Red Cross and up to 100 other disaster-relief groups, making up the Coordinated Assistance Network.
Tapestry is designed to keep track of people and the services they receive in the aftermath of disasters. The company was able to launch a national shelter database in 10 days after the hurricane.
“It’s a sheltering database, a case management system and a resource directory,” said W. Douglas Zimmerman, president and chief executive of VisionLink. “There are two sides: You have to keep track and make sure you’re not using funds redundantly, and the survivor doesn’t have to tell their story over and over (to each individual agency).”
Founded in 1996, VisionLink has 15 employees dedicated to providing applications to social service, workforce and education sectors, Zimmerman said.
– Kimberly S. Johnson, Denver Post Staff Writer
Adding an HD to DVDs
The Toshiba HD-XA1 and HD-A1, available in March, will be the first high-definition DVD players on the market. Warring companies have come up with two different ways to make the discs and players, pitting Toshiba’s HD-DVD standard against the Sony consortium’s Blu-ray.
At $499, the HD-A1 has added features, such as the ability to display a chapter list or change setup options without stopping the movie. The $799 HD-XA1 is made for custom installations and includes a special port that can take commands from professionally programmed remote controls. Best Buy, Tweeter and Sears are some of the stores expected to sell the players. About 40 movies are expected to be available on HD-DVD at the outset.
– By Roy Furchgott, The New York Times
