The VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Scanner

The VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Scanner is a unique portable scanner.

The Magic Wand Scanner is a bestseller among current scanners and is a great gift for the college student, family genealogist, business traveler, and anyone else who could benefit by scanning anywhere. If you need a portable scanner or know someone else who does, the Vupoint wand scanner may be just the right choice.

Magic Wand Scanner

The Magic Wand functionality makes it a favorite among college students, especially for work on group projects. One member of the group can hit the library and scan needed research, upload it to their computer, then email PDFs to everyone. No costly stacks of printed paper, and no need to meet up to distribute information packets.

One of this portable scanner's biggest bonuses is that it's truly portable. In most cases, even "portable" scanners need to either be connected via power adapter or USB cable to work. The VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Scanner takes just 2 AA batteries, making it easy to toss into a backpack without worrying about where you'll use it. This opens up the Magic Wand Scanner to a whole range of other uses, from scanning phone numbers you might otherwise forget to copying a friend's box of recipes.

Another potential drawback to the VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Scanner is its resolution capabilities. This portable scanner has a normal resolution of 300dpi and a "high" resolution of 600dpi. This is significantly lower than your average document or photo scanner, making it harder to capture high-res images.

Though the VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Scanner is a useful piece of equipment, it probably shouldn't be your only scanner. This portable scanner also makes a great gift for college students, travelers, and anyone else who needs to do basic scanning on the go.

The Magic Wand for Books

The Magic Wand Scanner is the perfect portable book scanner. Take it to the library or the historical society and easily scan any pages you need. Or if you like to scan magazine pages or recipe book pages at home, this scanner is an affordable alternative to purchasing a desktop book scanner.

Now, the quality of the images from a handheld book scanner like the Magic Wand may not be quite good enough for a library archive project, but the image quality should be more than suitable for your everyday person. And using a handheld scanner may do less harm to the fragile bindings of old books than with a flatbed scanner.

If you are shopping for a book scanner, check out some of the feedback from users of this scanner. You will find that many bibliophiles are enjoying the freedom of having a portable book scanner.

Photo Scanners by Epson

When people start looking for a photo scanner they quickly find that many of the top models available are made by Epson.

Having so many options in photo scanners just from Epson makes it easy to compare features across the various models. You can see what you get and what you don't at the different price points. Comparing image scanners across manufacturers often can be a bit more difficult as it can be hard to determine how similar certain features are like image-enhancing technologies.



If you are shopping for the best scanner for photos and are considering a Epson there are a few choices. Here I will list most of the bestselling Epson scanners and try to break down the key differences between models.


FACT: Epson's photo scanner models increase in features and price alongside the model number. So the V800 has more features and a higher price tag than the V300.

Most Popular Epson Models

The Epson V300 is one of the cheaper photo scanners that can still handle film and slides. Compared to pricier Epson models it does not feature Digital ICE and does not come with Adobe Photoshop Elements.

The V330 is very similar to the V300 in features but does include ArcSoft Scan-n-Stitch Deluxe software for scanning large items. A good cheap alternative to a larger scanner.

The Epson V550 offers the Digital ICE technology (dust and scratch removal) for film scanning along with a step up in optical resolution over the V300. Photoshop Elements is also included with purchase.

The V600 is very similar to the V550 except it offers Digital ICE for both film and photo scanning. A good medium value photo scanner and a great digital slide converter.

The Epson V800 is a very high quality photo scanner designed more for film and slide scanning. It has a higher optical density rating than the V600 (improved image quality) and can handle 3 times more slides in one run. It can also scan large-format film. Comes with LaserSoft Imaging SilverFast software in addition to Photoshop Elements.

Tips In Choosing The Best Slide Scanner

Deciding which device to purchase from a slide scanner selection can be frustrating considering the fact that there are several brands and models being sold in the market today. There are several factors that you need to consider because slide scanners come in different sizes and shapes. Their features and functions also vary depending on the manufacturer. To help you out in deciding which scanner suits your needs, below are some practical tips you can follow.




1) How will you be using the slide scanner? Keep in mind that scanners are specifically designed and manufactured to be used on 35mm slides and various film negatives. Here's what you need to know - some scanners are better suited for 35mm slides while other models are more appropriate for film negatives. With that said, you should choose a scanner based on where you are going to use it. Additionally, you must keep in mind that there are entry-level scanners and there are high-end scanners. The majority of entry-level scanners can only work on 35mm slides while their high-end counterparts can be used to scan several mounted slides in batches. Obviously, the high-end variants will be more expensive because they can accomplish more in less time.

2) Consider the software that is used to control the scanner. Many slide scanners are plug-and-play devices which mean you can start using them after you've plugged them into your computer. Usually, you will have to install some software so that you can manipulate the scanned photos using your computer. Some scanners enable you to connect the software with third-party applications like Photoshop. On the other hand, some scanners come with their own complete set of editing and storing functions. This means that you can do everything you want with your scanned images using the scanner's built-in software.

3) Consider the quality of the scanned images. This is one of the most important things you must take into account when choosing from a slide scanner selection. You should look at the specs of the scanner with regards to hardware resolution and optical resolution. You must also make comparisons with regards to color depth or bit depth and Dmax (dynamic range). Basically, this is the measurement of the amount of detail that the scanner is capable of recording digitally. If you are not familiar with these terms, you should seek advice from a graphics artist or professional photographer.

4) Only choose scanners manufactured by reputable brands. As we mentioned earlier, there are dozens of slide scanners being sold out there. It's highly recommended that you only buy from well-known manufacturers. Not only do they sell high-quality scanners, they offer quick customer support as well. When it comes to quality, the best slide scanners in the market today include the Wolverine F2D Mighty, the Sharper Image Photo Converter, the Pacific Image ImageBox MF, the Hammacher Schlemmer Superior, and the ION Film 2 SD Plus.

If you follow these simple but practical tips, choosing from a slide scanner selection shouldn't be too difficult. To summarize, you should consider how you are going to use the scanner, the software that comes with the device, the quality of the scanned images, and the brand that manufactures the gadget.

A Basic Guide to Printers

A printer is a peripheral that produces a graphic or a text document stored in electronic form on a physical print media such as paper. They are either black and white or colored. The printers are attached by printer cable, USB (universal serial bus) cable to a computer. Some of the printers have built-in network interfaces. They may be Ethernet based or wireless and can serve as hard copy for any user.


A few modern printers have advanced features; they can be directly interfaced to electronic media like the memory cards and even to image capture devices like scanners and digital cameras. Some of the printers are combined with fax machines or document scanners in a single unit can perform the task of photocopiers. These multifunction printers include scanning, copying and printing among their main features.



Printers are classified according to the printer technology they make use of. Different technologies are capable of various different levels of print speed, cost, text quality and noise. Other aspect of printer technology is resistance to alteration: liquid ink, such as from fabric ribbon or an inkjet, which is absorbed by the paper, so the documents that are printed with ink are more difficult to alter as compared to the documents printed with solid ink or toner as they do not penetrate below the surface of paper.

Modern printing technologies:

1. Toner based printer: laser printers rapidly produces high quality graphics and text. Just like multifunction printers and digital photocopiers, laser printers make use of xerographic printing process. LED printer is another toner based printer which uses LEDs instead of laser.

2. Liquid inkjet printers: These printers operate by propelling different sized droplets of ink onto any size of page. Liquid inkjet printers are the most common type of computer printers that are used by consumers. They can be used in small home offices too. These printers can print with a resolution of 1200 to 4800 dots per inch.

3. Solid ink printers: they are also known as phase change printers and area type of thermal transfer printers.

4. Inkless printers: UV printers and thermal printers are type of inkless printers. UV printers use a special reusable paper coated with UV light sensitive chemicals. Thermal printers work by making use of special heat sensitive papers and by selectively heating regions on it.

5. Dot matrix printers: commonly used in home office for lost cost, low quality applications or the applications demanding high volume printing. They make use of small pins to create precise dots but are quickly going out of style.

6. 3D printers: okay, not something you will probably buy for your home. But they are worth mentioning because 3D printing is so cool.


Scanners and printers are some of the most popular pieces of equipment in home offices today. As technology moves forward more advanced features are always being added. Things like wireless network with multiple devices is now becoming desirable as people wish to print directly from their iPhone or iPad.

Buying a Webcam

Is it me, or does it feel like even Grandma is on Skype?

Whether you want to make videos to load up onto YouTube or talk with your friends and family on Skype, you are going to need a decent webcam. These little devices are really great for college students to keep up with their families or for Dads that travel a lot and want to say goodnight to their kids when away from home. They are also just great for making videos for sharing on your blog or Facebook as so many people do nowadays.



Despite the level of coolness, webcams are pretty affordable for most. You can buy one for yourself and even buy one for a family member at Christmas and stay in contact visually all year long.

Features to Compare

The choices in webcams aren't too overwhelming. If you need a bargain option then there are certainly some cheap webcams to buy. But if you want a good webcam then you will probably find yourself purchasing a Logitech model as they are currently the leader in the consumer filed.

That said, there are still a few models to choose from at varying price points. If you want the best webcam then I would suggest the Logitech Pro C920. It has the highest resolution of the Logitech webcams.

But if you need something a bit cheaper, here are the main features to compare:

- Video Resolution
- Autofocus
- Automatic Light
- Noise Reduction Microphone
- Operating System Compatibility