Category Archives: Productivity Gadgets

BlackBerry Storm Released in UK

Blackberry StormBlackBerry fans have been eagerly awaiting news of the newest model from the pioneering web phone company which develops the units. The Storm model has just been released in the UK with North American distribution scheduled for less than a week from now.

The BlackBerry Storm is an updated model of the popular gadget with brand new features which seek to provide some solid competition for Apple’s iPhone. Aside from the updated touch-screen features, Storm is also outfitted with a handful of additional updates meant to draw existing BlackBerry customers to the new model.

A remodeled digital camera/camcorder has been fit into Storm along with a re-imagining of the keyboard functions which made BlackBerry so prolific in the past. Users are able to choose between a traditional QWERTY layout or the updated SurePress and multi-tap, cell-phone style options.

While some users remain hesitant about adopting the BlackBerry Storm and it’s new, touch-screen approach, the company has added subtle effects (such as clicking sounds when keys are pressed) in order to keep the fan-base satisfied.

Generally superb reviews and years of development should help the wary ease their concern about picking up a BlackBerry Storm. The web phone is certainly a fantastic choice for those in the market for a mobile device which easily (and affordably) combines communication, internet access and fun gadgetry into one sleek looking package.

Check out the official web page of the BlackBerry Storm.

It will be interesting to see what productivity and GTD applications come out for the Storm. Of course I will be reviewing them here when they do come out.

Dixau Text Scanner – Time Saving Scanner

Just been looking at the Dixau Text Scanner; a gadget which is able to scan pages and pick out relevant information and I thought I would write a little review of it, as it is classed as a Productivity Gadget.

Although the biggest market for such a device is probably with students the Text Scanner is definitely exciting for anyone who must tediously deal with large volumes of writing on a daily basis.

Tasks such as rewriting quotes or passages from any textual documents (including magazines, research materials, books, business reports, etc.) can be cleanly recognized and clipped by the Dixau Text Scanner and then copied into a text editor.

It saves an incredible amount of time usually spent typing or writing out words from a physical source, acting as something like a highly-evolved scanner. Also interesting is the Text Scanner’s ability to reference secondary sources by picking out keywords. Dixau consults Wikipedia, Google and e-dictionaries to supplement whatever material you may be working with.

The gadget is extremely exciting as a time-saving expansion on reading and editing. The implications of its system on both learning and more efficient work make it an extremely worthwhile piece of technology.

Whether used as a short-cut toward quicker reference or as a means of copying out text, the Dixau Text Scanner is one of the most innovative productivity gadgets ever created.

I have managed to find a video showing the scanner in action. It is a Japanese, or at least it looks Japanese video although the audio is in English.

<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-US&#038;playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:728e6606-662a-49e2-8284-c51ecab8e1f3&#038;showPlaylist=true&#038;from=msnvideo" target="_new" title="Dixau - Automatic Dictionary Scanner">Video: Dixau &#8211; Automatic Dictionary Scanner</a>

Hope you found this little Productivity Gadget review useful. Looks a neat little tool. They are priced around $90 but I have not yet found a link to buy them, when I do I will post it here.

Auto Card Manager Simplifies Wallet Storage

ACMWalletIt may seem silly to consider a card managing wallet as a productivity gadget but the bottom line often is that if something can save time and remove stress then it’s usually worthwhile in this department.

Thus, the Auto Card Manager has been created in order to provide a hyper-organized alternative to the mess that can ensue when various cards are kept only in a wallet.

The Auto Card Manager sorts all of your most important cards into special slots which can be accessed through the simple press of a button.

Various credit card, debit and driver license slots are hosted through the width of the Manager (for up to either six or twelve individual cards) and a row of buttons are placed to correspond to each one.

Pushing the labeled button neatly ejects your chosen card and saves the hassle of rooting around in your wallet’s folds while a line waits behind you.

It is interesting technology and a fairly innovative take on productivity gadgets although the overall purpose is perhaps a little bit too specific to make it a great idea for the everyday user.

At $39.99 USD for a 6-card manager and $59.99 USD for a 12-card holder, the Auto Card Manager may be a bit too expensive to warrant now but will certainly be worth a purchase when the price levels out a little.

Check out the YouTube video of the gadget.

Now, I just have to find where to buy one in the UK!