Reviews

Magellan Wireless Back-Up Camera

Details: Written by Brad Pransky, Editor

I live in a four season part of the country. Each season has its own special beauty and appeal. Each, it's own hazards. In the fall we see the leaves come down off the trees and cover our sidewalks and lawn. In the winter it's the ice and snow and shoveling sidewalks and driveways. In the spring and summer its tricycles, bicycles, skateboards and kids all over the place.

back-up-child-view-sm For as dangerous as wet leaves can be, and as treacherous as ice and snow can be, nothing scares a driver more than the possibility of backing his car up into an oncoming small child. Many new cars are now coming equipped with rearview cameras built-in. Not all of us intend to go out tomorrow and trade in our car to get the benefit of this new technology. To help with that, a number of manufacturers have designed aftermarket rearview cameras that can be installed in vehicles that have existing screens for viewing. Some of the challenges of these products are the size of the built-in screen in the existing vehicle and also running the wires from front to back within your vehicle. This can be especially challenging if you have a larger minivan truck or SUV.

To help solve this dilemma and make the possibility of a backup camera available to any vehicle, including larger trucks, Magellan^® has produced their Wireless Back-Up Camera. We had an opportunity to install this and use it in conjunction with their RoadMate 9055 GPS which we previously reviewed.

Specs and Features

The CMOS imaging sensor in the camera has a 640x480 resolution with an approximate 100° vertical by 120° horitzontal view. This is a slightly 'fish-eyed' perspective but great for seeing everything behind your vehicle. The output to the GPS screen is mirrored so that when you look at the screen in front of you, the image reflects the correct position of objects behind you. fisheye-sm

The camera mounts neatly over the rear license plate. The wireless transmitter attached to the camera operates in the 2.4Mhz frequency range. Don't confuse this with the 2.4Ghz range that microwave ovens and many cordless phones use. You shouldn't expect any interference at these frequencies and we did not experience any. The transmitter has a 45' range so it will not only work for all standard vehicles but also on small to mid-size trucks. This can be incredibly helpful if you tow a travel trailer or have a motorhome built before this technology was factory installed.

The camera is dustproof and water proof. It is rated IP67 which means in normal English, it is totally protected against dust and protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1 meter. In other words, it should withstand normal use in the elements.

Lastly, Magellan recommends professional installation. That's a really good idea. Here's why...

The Installation

Like any tech crazed group we wanted to open the box and install the product ourselves. The components, as you can see in the picture, Backup_Camera-5-Item-Display-Image seem simple enough. However, this is not an issue of the technology in the box but of the car wiring harness. If you don't have years of experience installing things in late-model cars with spaghetti like wiring harnesses, attempting the installation and expecting not to see smoke somewhere along the way is a pipe dream, at best.

Every brand of automobile has its own wiring model and harness layout. There are hundreds of lines running between everything from your electric door locks to your trunk release. This includes every light and electric option in the vehicle. You don't want to mess this up!

After I was able to quell the sounds of disappointment and re-holster the eager screwdrivers and pliers, we set out on a little road trip to a local installation firm called All That Jazz. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, and in the video below you'll see several thousand worth. It took them a little over an hour to complete the installation and I think you'll understand as you see these pictures why you should leave this to the professionals.

The Results

Using the camera is as simple as putting your car in reverse. Being wired into the backup lights circuit, power to the camera is automatically triggered when the backup procedure begins. The system is programmed to override the GPS image on the screen with the picture coming from the camera and automatically revert once the car is taken out of reverse.

The image is reasonably sharp and clear with the 120° horizontal field of view being amply wide to see everything around the vehicle. Daytime images are excellent as well as those in well lit parking areas. I cannot give a strong endorsement to nighttime situations. Low light capabilities are not this camera's strong point.

Summary

Magellan's Wireless Back-Up Camera offers a very real option for vehicle owners looking to add rearview camera capability. It's wireless design makes installation simpler and more flexible for various kinds of vehicles. While it may not be as fancy or high-resolution as some available wired solutions, at $149.99 it does a first-rate job of delivering a clear crisp image.

Magellan's Wireless Back-Up Camera is available on line and in most brick and mortar electronics stores.

NeatDesk 5.0

Details: Written by Lee Coty, Contributing Editor

A Background conversation with Lee Coty, Contributing Editor Int2view.com:

Int2view: So Lee, is your hatred of filing really that bad or is it just an aversion?

Lee: Let me put it this way, in my world it’s filing, clutter and root canal, in that order.

Int2view: (somewhat sarcastically): Oh come on, it can’t be that bad! Did you have a bad experience as a child? Did a filing cabinet bite you?

Lee: Sort of. My college freshmen summer was spent working for a large insurance company as a file clerk. This was before desktop computers were around.

Int2view: OK, so? Having a summer job that entailed a little filing isn’t that terrible.

Lee: Think so? Picture a huge room filled with insurance agents on the phones at their desks. The front of the room was a line of five-drawer filing cabinets as far as the eye could see containing information about all the insurance policies written…ever. Each morning I was given a lengthy list of files to pull and at the end of day the files had to be returned.

Int2view: Come on, so you had to file a lot. Was it that bad?

Lee: Bad? BAD?? It was repetitive, mind-numbing & manicure destroying! And did I mention the paper cuts?? There’s no workman’s comp for that you know!!

Int2view: I get it, so you were traumatized a bit. What did you do?

Lee: I toughed it out, but I made two decisions –Never learn to type well (so I would never take a job that required typing), and never put myself in a position where filing was required…ever.

Int2view: So how’s that working out for you?

Lee: Who knew that computers would take over the world? I type constantly. But it’s not bad. I work at my own pace and haven’t worried about spilling white-out in years.

Lee’s review of NeatDesk from the Neat Company begins here.

NeatDesk V.5.0

By Lee Coty, Contributing Editor

Eliminating Office Clutter…or… What’s a 4 letter word that begins with ‘F’?

File, I hate to file (what did you think the word was….shame, shame). I don’t know about you, but our office is swimming in paper! There are invoices, receipts, vouchers, itineraries, stubs, business cards and small mountains of unidentifiable, slightly crumbled ‘these are really important’ papers.

Today’s computerized world has changed the way we do things….a lot. clutteredoffice Email has caused the US Post Office to see (and bleed) red, taking notes involves a keyboard and we constantly hear talk of the paperless office. HAH!

Our office keeps records for three companies, investments and personal information. This results in something like the image at right.

Technology to the Rescue….almost

It made sense to use computer tech to ease being overwhelmed by paper documents, so I began scanning the mountain of paper that comes across my desk into PDF (Portable Document Format) files and saving them to folders on my hard disk. I thought it was a pretty good way to do the filing (ugh, that word). One problem, nobody else could figure out my system.

There had to be a way to organize and make sense of all the paperwork. The answer to my predicament arrived when the Neat® Company sent us the NeatDesk to review.

scanner_with_ADF_loaded-L2

There are two components to the system, the scanner and the digital filing software.

The high-speed duplex desktop scanner is fast. It has a patented ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) with specially sized slots to process 10 documents, 10 receipts and 10 business cards in a batch. When the tray is removed it can handle large documents of up to 50 pages.

We received an early release of the Neat V5.0 software for review. “Neat 5 software uses patented "Intelligent Text Recognition" technology to identify and capture key information from scanned documents”. The new revamped user interface (The Dashboard) is terrific, providing an easy, logical way to process, display and access the information in the system using a filing cabinet, drawers and folders metaphor.

Neat5_Dashboard

The Dashboard has all the information you need to get started and maintain the system. The left panel lists the contents of the filing cabinet (more on that later), the center area contains a video demo on how to get started and resources including a community link, a help center and additional video tutorials (very useful). The right panels show statistics regarding how many folders, receipts, documents and contacts have been entered into the system. Another area also displays the searchable contacts database.

Watch and Learn…then Do

This is how we got started. First we made some popcorn. Next, we viewed several tutorial videos. We formulated our organizational game plan and went to work.

In the “My Cabinet” area, we set up the “drawers” we normally use – i.e. one for each company. Then we created Sections in each drawer (i.e. 2010, 2011 and 2012). Within each section we created folders to hold the related information. As items were scanned or imported, additional folders were created as needed.

We quickly and easily processed all the documentation, confirmations, receipts and business cards from our test case, the trip to CES 2012 in January.

Waste Not, Want Not

I mentioned the not so sterling results of my previous attempt to reduce clutter by scanning without an organized system. My next question was – “What do I do with all the PDFs I already have?”

Simple answer – Import them into the logical, intuitive system created in Neat® 5. It was truly “point and click” to determine what to import and where to put it. At first, I did one group of files at a time to insure placement into the proper folder. I quickly realized it would be faster and just as accurate to select a whole bunch.

The files appeared in the “Recently Added Items” link on “The Dashboard” and were marked “Unreviewed”. I then verified the information in each item and put it in the correct folder. I used the settings menu to customize fields and columns. Like I said – simple!

The dashboard displayed that we had 369 folders, 127 receipts, 566 documents and 564 contacts (426 synched with Outlook).

Among the features we like is the option to select “Send to Neat” from the print menu in any application, rather than having to save as a PDF and import to Neat later. The ability to search the entire database and find what we need in seconds adds even more efficiecy, saving time and eliminating frustration.

Data can be exported to applications such as Outlook® and QuickBooks®. The option to export to TurboTax® can ease the process at tax time. The ability to create reports for expenses makes it easier to manage business and personal expenditures. No more excuses such as “I don’t know where the receipt is.” We successfully tested sending information to Excel®, Quicken©, and QuickBooks©.

As with any new system, it took time to initially set up the folders so the key information could be extracted and organized. Once done, the information is searchable and can be used to generate reports utilizing the Report Creator Wizard. The Report Wizard made it a breeze to produce a wide variety of reports using all the information entered in the system.

Neat® is great at providing technical support with video tutorials, solutions and access to a community of users. The Help Center provides answers as well as the ability to create an account to keep a log of your support issues.

The software license allows for installation of NeatWorks on two computers. Each computer maintains its own database. Currently, NeatWorks cannot be configured to share a database over a network.

Now that my desk is clear, I don’t pale at the thought of handling incoming mail, finding filed information or facing the accountant at tax time.

We look forward to seeing a network capable version. At CES 2012 Neat® Company announced NeatCloud and NeatMobile to provide users with broader access to their information. Release date is anticipated late Spring.

NeatDesk and NeatReceipts (a portable version) are available for Windows and Mac.

MSRP $399.95 – NeatDesk + digital filing system

MSRP $199.95 – NeatReceipts + digital filing system

MSRP $599.95– NeatDesk, NeatReceipts + digital filing system

Check the Neat^® Company for deals.

The Sound of One Hand Tapping

Details: Written by Lee Coty, Contributing Editor

Like many of you reading this article, I am the proud servant of a Smartphone, a tablet, a laptop and a desktop computer. They keep me pretty well tethered to my work, my friends and the Internet. The problem I have is staying tethered to them. Manual dexterity and grip are not strong suits for people with physical challenges. In fact, I have been told to stay a minimum of 10 feet from my computer keyboard when drinking coffee.

I’ve Only Got Two Hands!

I'm no different than anyone else. When I'm moving around I want to Lee_has_a_handle_on_things use my Smartphone or tablet. The problem is that one hand is usually busy maneuvering the joystick on my power wheelchair. This presents me with a real problem when trying to hang on to my technology. Yeah, the walls, furniture and people I’ve impacted (literally) put me at the same risk level as texting while driving.

Necessity Can Be a Mother….

Enter two inventive guys, Paul Sklar, an attorney specializing in elder law and Scott Cynamon, also an attorney and executive in a recycling company. While in bed recuperating from surgery, Paul tried to run his practice using his cell phone… while flat on his back. After constantly dropping his phone he had what he feels was the “AHA Moment”. Aha, it turns out, took 2 years and 128 versions to develop their product line at Scott Paul Technologies. The ones we have tested are:

CellHandle™

The CellHandle™ is a simple thingamabob that attaches and detaches to your phone and many other handheld devices. You attach the self-adhesive base to the phone, wrap the soft Velcro adjustable strap around any finger and you can use your device without fear of dropping it. You can also use it as a kick stand for easy viewing. The CellHandle rotates 360⁰ and can easily fit in your pocket. I use it on my cell phone and my MP3.

MSRP $19.95 In Black Only Replacement parts $3.95

e-Handle™

My personal favorite, the e-Handle™ gives me a secure grip on my tablet/e-reader. The 360⁰ rotation comfortably adjusts to my hand whether I’m leafing through a book, browsing the Internet or taking my frustrations out on Angry Birds™. Using the e-Handle™ allows me to use my device longer and with less hand fatigue. It also helps insure its survival as I go cruising around – one hand on the aforementioned joystick.

MSRP $24.95 In Black Only Replacement parts $3.95

ScottPaul Technologies has successfully addressed a need benefiting anyone with a mobile device; even a kid who can’t seem to hold on to his stuff, a teen who seems to have grown a new appendage shaped like a cell phone or the physically challenged.

The ease I get with the e-Handle™ on my tablet allows me to read at a pace I haven’t enjoyed since holding a hardback or paperback book became difficult. The gift certificates I’ve been hoarding are now putting a dent in the ebook market.

We especially like that the product is made in the USA.

Netgear WNDR4500

Details: Written by Brad Pransky, Editor

With the explosion of handheld wireless devices in the business office and home it has become more important than ever to make sure your network has a good wireless capable router. Traffic for both data and multimedia content is ever increasing. Large data, multimedia and video files are being moved back and forth not only at home but also in the workplace. With this in mind we decided to look at Netgear's entry in the hot N900 space, the WNDR4500.

The Need for Speed

Like every other device in the computing category, once we have something we like, we want it to go faster. Whether it's our computer's processor, the refresh rate on our screen, our printers, disk drives and yes, our wireless connections, faster always seems better.

N900 routers are wireless 802.11N dual band devices designed to be capable of delivering 2 simutaneous 450Mbps streams of data, or a combined total data stream of 900Mbps. To give it a sense of perspective, that 802.11G wireless connection you used to think was so fast is probably only pumping out 54Mbps.

Put them Together and What Have You Got...???

So how do they do it? The WNDR4500 uses two radios; a 2.4ghz and a 5ghz. This is not uncommon. What is new, is that the 2.4Ghz radio (like the one in your 802.11G router), as well as the 5Ghz radio, now support the new 450Mbps standard. Combined this gives a potentially whopping 900Mbps capability. [editor's note: in 2 years we'll be laughing that we thought this was so fast!] This means you can stream HD video or complex multi-player games and still have room for a video call.

Setup for Dummies

Netgear has taken great pains to make this technology accessible to anyone who can use the bandwidth. They have included their Netgear Genie management software that comes pre-configured for out of the box use or, if you are so inclined, is simple enough to configure for anyone with a basic idea of what a router is all about. It is also available as a downloadable application so you can shepherd your network from almost anywhere.

One thing worth noting is that the router is designed to be used in a vertical position. While we find the tall thin design with its Plexiglas side appealing, there will certainly be those who might have a need to place the router horizontally or want to wall mount it and be disappointed (think shelf). This shouldn't be a decision point when considering this router. Its overall performance more than justifies accommodating its vertical position.

Features for Everybody

The WNDR4500 is chock full of features. For ease of use they have the Netgear Genie we mentioned above, a 1 button ‘Push ‘N’ Connect’ to allow instant secure WiFi connections and even an on/off button for the wireless radio function if you want to turn off WiFi but leave the router on; great for security and control. Speaking of security, the WNDR4500 also offers a complete set of parental controls as well as a separate Guest Network capability. This is indispensable for visitors in the home and office.

WNDR4500-back-panel-diagram If you’re all about sharing, Netgear offers DLNA compatibility (Digital Living Network Alliance) as well as their own ReadySHARE utility. Many newer media presentation capable devices are DLNA compliant. These include everything from your Xbox to many cell phones. The WNDR4500 ReadySHARE allows you to attach a USB storage device or USB compatible printer to either of the two USB ports on the back of the router and make them available to your entire network. Files on the attached drive are automatically scanned for digital content that is then made available to these devices. Between these 2 protocols you will be able to connect to any drive, printer or DLNA media compatible device on your network.

Performance

The WNDR4500 performed well in all of our tests. We attached devices to all its available gigabit ports, its USB ports and both its wireless connections, separately and in combination. In all cases the results were very good or excellent. We ran videos on desktops and simultaneously on wireless devices. We also streamed wirelessly to Netgear's Neo-TV with excellent results, but more on that in an upcoming review.

To help monitor and tweak performance, Netgear provides two other features on NetworkMap this router that you will really appreciate. The first is a network map. This is a handy tool accessible through the network Genie that visually shows you every device attached on its network. This is helpful when you're trying to track down IP addresses and minor network problems. The second is a traffic meter. You can use this convenient feature to alert you to high demand or even set it to disconnect at preset limits if data download amounts are exceeded. This is indispensable if you are on a limited or metered plan.

One of the biggest pluses of this router's performance is its exceptional range. We don't have a football field to test in, but I'm pretty sure if we did we would have measured a good signal from one end to the other. In every test of every reasonable placement of the router we achieved more than satisfactory signal strength throughout the test area. As was stated before, accommodating its vertical positioning is well worth it for its range and performance.

Conclusions

While the WNDR4500 is a bit more expensive at about $180 than many of its competitors, its features and performance are more than worth it. If your need is to set up either a high-end home network to accommodate your video and game crazy family or small business office for your staff, guests and some necessary attached storage, this is the wireless router you want.

Corel PaintShop Pro X4

Details: Written by Brad Pransky, Editor

There's a lot to like about the latest version of PaintShop Pro (X4) from Corel. Corel has been steadily improving the product since its acquisition from Jasc software, and this version is undoubtedly its best iteration.

As in previous versions, Corel has packed the software full of features. They've spent a lot of time redesigning the interface to make it more user-friendly and added some cool new capabilities.

It's a Love-Hate Relationship

Few people will debate that the interface in the X3 version of the software was a bit tedious to deal with. You could easily get lost in the tools and features menus trying to move through the editing process. Like any other tool or skill however, once you got used to it you could navigate fairly easily. Having achieved a relative level of comfort in the X3 interface, and bringing it up on our screens to refresh our memory before we embarked on the new review, imagine our surprise when we found it had been completely revamped!

Like most human beings I'm not big on change. When I get used to something, I appreciate the level of comfort that familiarity provides. Instinctively, my first reaction was to hate the product. Not in the visceral sense, but in the knee-jerk "there goes that warm fuzzy feeling" reaction when we realize we have to learn something all over again.The good news is, that feeling didn't last. I can't say that I'm in love with the new interface, but it is most assuredly an improvement over the previous version. Corel structured the workspace into three distinct areas navigated by tabs: manage, adjust, and edit. The purpose of this is to attempt to mimic the workflow of the average user.

The Workspace

Manage

By default, this is where the program opens (this can be modified if you click on the 'View' option and slide down to 'docking options'where you will get a box that prompts to change all of your preferences). In the Manage area you organize, tag, rate and select your photos. In whatever way you choose to file them, you can click on a folder in the navigation section and immediately open all of the photos within it to the organizer tray at the bottom of the screen. This is the same tray feature that was in the X3 version. On the right side of the screen, is an info box with general and technical information about a selected image. This includes any tags or ratings and EXIF (exchangeable image file format) data.

The size of the thumbnails at the bottom of the page is adequate, but if you need to enlarge them you can resize the tray. You cannot, however, rearrange the Windows.

Adjust

This tab will allow you to take your selected image and tweak...enhance...beautify (let's face it, salvage) it with the most common tools. One of the nice conveniences Corel offers is the Smart Photo fix. By selecting this and clicking on the "suggest settings" the program will automatically modify the picture and show you, on sliding bars, what has been modified. You can then play with the settings and see the results on the picture.

PaintShop_Pro_X4_Adjust_Workspace

The adjust section also goes into a lot more depth with advanced features such as the new Fill Light/Clarity. How often have you clicked a quick snapshot only to find later that someone's face or a significant object in the picture is much darker than the surrounding light? The Fill light/Clarity tool allows you to bring out that object without turning the rest of your image into a scene of a polar bear drinking milk in the snow.

Edit

The Edit section gives you full access to all of the tools in Adjust plus all the toolbars and effects we're familiar with from the X3 version. To augment the already long list of capabilities in the program, Corel has added some powerful new tools for the more advanced photographer. There are four in particular that catch your attention right away. The first is a new HDR (high dynamic range) tool. This is a wonderful tool to use if you take bracketed exposures. It allows you to make a composite photo using an exposure merge feature. This can lead to some dramatic results to improve the overall image.

The second tool, photo blend, allows you to overcome that age-old problem of "Bob blinked". We have all learned over time that when you're taking a group picture, take several, because we all know, in at least one of them... Bob blinked. Photo blend allows you to pick the best aspects from several pictures and distill it into one composite where everybody smiled with their eyes open...at the same time.

The other features worth mentioning are the new selective focus and vignette capabilities. Selective focus gives you the ability to take portions of the picture and put them slightly out of focus. This is a similar look to that which you get from a change in depth of field. It's a great way to emphasize or isolate an object in a photo.

Another trick for achieving attention or focus on a particular subject is the vignette. The PaintShop Pro X4 version gives you a terrific set of tools for not only doing simple things like darkening the edges of the picture, but also the ability to control where those darkened areas will be as well as the shape and the graduation of the effect.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

The PaintShop Pro products are often looked at as the less expensive, simpler tools one gets when the high-priced spread seems like too much to handle and too much to spend. Don't be fooled. This program has a lot of tools and effects which will let any photographer, no matter how much of a beginner, turnout some very impressive images. But, and I add this caveat not as a warning but as further recommendation; Pro X4 has the depth necessary for the serious shutterbug. If you want to get the best results out of the software, make sure you start with images from a good camera and a tripod. Pro X4 can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but it can turn decent cloth into a fine tapestry.

PaintShop Pro X4 comes in three varieties: Pro X4, Pro X4 Ultimate and Photo & Video Ultimate bundle. The Ultimate version includes a whole lot of extras including Nik^® Color Efex Pro™ 3.0 filters, which includes over 250 professional effects and styles, as well as access to royalty free high resolution photos and the ability to create a custom photo book from Blurb^®. The Ultimate Bundle includes everything we've mentioned plus Corel's VideoStudio X4. Each successive version comes with about a $20 increase in price. We have found Corel's PaintShop Pro X4 on sale for under $50. This means that you can get an extremely robust photo and video editing suite for under $100.

If the thought of jumping in scares you a bit, Corel has a wonderful 30 day trial available. It's a terrific way to find out just how great looking your pictures can be.