By Terry L. Brock
The goal of any tool, like technology, is to make your life easier and enable you to get more done with it than you ever could without it. When technology can make your life better and safer, you are on to something that can give you a decisive advantage in business.
In this column I’ll tell you four specific technologies that can help you be more productive and keep you —- and your technology much safer. Any business owner or businessperson can benefit from these. You’ll see videos of these to describe them in more detail at www.TerryBrock.com .
Sound Fit To Hear Better, Save Your Ears
We hear a lot about the dangers of listening to music that is too loud. Children particularly need to know about this and adjust the volume accordingly.
Able Planet is a company I’ve known for years that is dedicated to making your listening experience safer and more pleasant. They blend in technology using advanced circuitry called Linx, Audio to minimize the harsh, loud volume and enhance the rich sounds for music and spoken word.
The company has announced a new product called Sound Fit which delivers better sound while you adjust the volume lower. The removable, disposable ear buds provide a deep listening experience while keeping your ears safe.
Expected to retail in the $30 range, these ear buds give you the ability to lower your volume yet hear richer, fuller sounds. To see a video interview with Kevin Semcken, the CEO of Able Planet on this, go to:
https://www.terrybrock.com/2009/01/ableplanetearbuds/ or for more information on the company, contact www.ableplanet.com,
Diamond X Bluetooth From iVoice
Bluetooth is the technology that allows you to wirelessly connect devices. It has been around for several years and is now integrally linked with safety for taking on a mobile phone while driving. Now more than ever, safety is related to Bluetooth.
I’ve been using the Diamond X Bluetooth device with my iPhone recently and have been very pleased with the results. This device retails for $119.00. I found the clarity of a variety of calls to be consistently strong and understandable. I made it a point to ask people I was speaking with how my voice sounded and they consistently said it was very good — even paralleling a land line.
An added feature on this unit is the ability for the device to use text to speech announcing the caller. If your caller is in your address book, you’ll hear an announcement of who it is. This is like a audio caller id when you’re busy and mobile. It can save you from talking to that persistent brother-in-law who is trying to sell you his new multi-level marketing scheme. Now, that can be real safety!
Fujitsu S1500 Scanner
Scanners are a great way to control the paper jungle. With the new Fujitsu S1500 (expected release in Spring of this year), you have an easy way to process that mass of paper in your life.
The S1500 scanner will handle various sizes of paper at the same time. It scans both sides, in color and processes it at a rate of 20 pages per minute. With this technology you are safe from losing important information that can be vital (think tax returns, important receipts, contact information, etc). You can see a video of this in action at:
https://www.terrybrock.com/2009/01/fujitsu_s1500_scanner/
A very nice feature built into the software is the ability to recognize cards in various languages. I’m studying Russian and Japanese now and have cards with both languages. So, in my go ahead and show me if this works attitude I asked the Fujitsu reps to scan my cards with Russian and Japanese. I was flabbergasted at the proficiency and accuracy it demonstrated. The cards were sorted properly and put into the right categories on the software.
For building relationships in business, this is a must-have. It is much easier than previous devices and will help give you a competitive advantage. When Spring comes and this unit is available. It is worth considering for the $495.00 retail price.
S1500 Scanner, www.fujitsu.com/us, $495.00 (Spring Availability)
Lo/Jack For Laptops
Safety for your laptop is vital in a world where thieves are getting smarter. Absolute Software has developed a Lo/Jack for Laptops which embeds coding within the BIOS of a laptop computer. If your computer has this feature, called CompuTrace built into the BIOS, it can signal every 15 minutes the location of the computer.
The technology uses triangulation to find the most recent location of your laptop. Most thieves will not remove the BIOS (it can devalue the computer). So, Lo/Jack for laptops comes to your rescue alerting you and legal authorities the whereabouts of your stolen laptop.
Prices run $39.99/yr for basic or $59.99/yr. for a premium service. For the safety of your laptop, this could be just what you need — not to mention your own peace of mind.
www.absolute.com
Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc. Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.
