The Gadgets Page

So much of what we see at CES is just vaporware. It doesn’t exist and it may never exist. In fact, after a healthy dose of CES, everything that IS available starts to look incredibly lame in comparison. The Optimus Maximus keyboard is a good example. Imagine a computer keyboard in which the keys can be WHATEVER you want. Instead of stickers on your keyboard (that would be MY solution), the Optimus Maximus keyboard has a tiny LED screen on each and every screen. You can change the keys based on your language or whatever other scheme you prefer.

When we saw Optimus Maximus at CES this year, we thought it looked cool, but both Mike and I assumed that it would never see the light of day. We had seen this keyboard before and nothing had come of it. We logged it as cool and didn’t report it back then because it just wasn’t available for purchase.

Well, now it is:

• ThinkGeek :: Optimus Maximus Keyboard

Here is a video produced by ThinkGeek showing the abilities of the Optimus Maximus keyboard:

If you’re willing to plunk down over $1.5K, you can have a Optimus Maximus keyboard. Of course, the concept of “available” is a fuzzy one when even ThinkGeek doesn’t have them in stock.

Considering that sticker sheets are sold in packs of 25 for ten bucks, I think I’ll go for the sticker idea.

Via: Optimus keyboard now shipping, bring on the hacks - Boing Boing Gadgets

Here is a video from the Internet Archive about Comdex 1996. It was made by Computer Chronicles:

It runs about a half hour and talks about the following:

• All-in-Wonderboard from ATI
• Windows CE handhelds: Casio and Compaq
• Apple: eMate 300 and Newton
• 11″-15″ LCD screens from Sceptre
• The Flopico from Mitsubishi
• Microsoft Office 97: Added Outlook and the Office Assistant (the dreaded paperclip)
• Netscape Communicator and Constellation: A desktop management program
• Digital Cameras with 24 bit color and VGA resolution from Sony and Ricoh
• Photo Editing Software: Ixel Photo
• Video Editing Software: Trinity from Play, Inc.

Also, here is a transcript of the keynote speech from Comdex 1996 by Bill Gates:

• Bill Gates Speech Transcript - Comdex 1996

That concludes our trip down memory lane. Comdex 1996 was fun and I enjoyed it fully. All of it makes me excited to go to CES next year.

Televisions for eyes were a popular theme at Comdex 1996. There were more than a few companies who used that idea for their display.

These displays were from ATI. They were promoting the All-In-Wonderboard. It was really ahead of its time and despite all the power that we have from the DVRs of today, this product did things that you still can’t do.

• You could look at thumbnails from nine channels at once (better than picture in picture) and when you clicked on one, it would show you full video and audio.

• It would “listen” to programs using the closed captioning and if a program mentioned one of your preset keywords, it would save a .txt file of the audio from that program.

• It had a zoom feature that would let you focus on a specific part of the television screen.

This display (also from ATI) looked better than all of them. ATI are now owned by AMD and you can see them here:

• Advanced Micro Devices, AMD – Global Provider of Innovative Microprocessor, Graphics and Media Solutions

Tomorrow is our last day about Comdex 1996. Join us!

We are continuing our reminiscing about Comdex 1996.

I snapped this photo of American Megatrends booth just because it was shaped like a pyramid. American Megatrends now goes by AMI and they are still making motherboards and storage:

• AMI : American Megatrends Inc. : Home Page

Filed under the category of things that are the wrong size is this tiny LCD television screen.

I had Mike hold up his hand so we could show people how small it was. Once again, I have to apologize to the company that showcased this little screen because I have no idea who you are. When I saw this LCD screen, I imagined that we could have television on our watches. Now that it’s possible, I don’t really care anymore. It turns out that a screen that small is just too small to enjoy movies or television shows.

That was the year that LCD screens for computers were released in 11″ and 13″. Now that you can get LCD screens as big as 109″, it all seems so humble.

Tomorrow, there is more Comdex 1996.

Big Things! Comdex 1996 was filled with things that were the wrong size. My apologies to the company who had this booth. I have no idea who you are, but your displays were cool. I think it might be Compaq’s PDA, but I’m not sure. If you know, please tells us in the comments.

This is a big version of a handheld PDA. Windows CE was announced that year, so there were lots of compact PCs running Windows CE. The battle between Windows CE, the Apple Newton and Palm Pilot started that year and here we are twelve years later with no clear winner between them, although my personal favorite right now is Apple with their iPhone.

Ah, to sit down. We were all so tired that year that any place to sit down was a welcome respite. These seats looked like huge computer keys, so I snapped a photo of them. It looks like it was a booth for Fujitsu. Where are they now? They are still making notebook PCs and Tablet PCs. You can find them here:

• FUJITSU : Fujitsu Computer Systems -

Tune in next week for the continuation of Comdex 1996.

The most impressive company that had a booth at Comdex back in 1996 was Drive Savers:

They had a Museum of Disk-asters in which they showed the burnt, dropped and drown computers from which they were able to rescue data.

Disk Savers still exist today. You can see their website here:

• Data Recovery by DriveSavers | Hard Drive Data Recovery - Home

Here is a link to their Data Recovery Hall of Fame:

• Data Recovery by DriveSavers | Hard Drive Data Recovery - Hall of Fame

I remember being so impressed that they helped save an episode of The Simpsons. They are still touting that accomplishment almost twelve years later. So many companies from back then have disappeared. It’s nice to see that Disk Savers are still around.

Before there was CES, There was Comdex. In 1996, Mike had his first book signing at Comdex and I gave myself permission to take as many pictures as I wanted with my 110 camera. This was unprecedented in my days before digital and I have scanned in the old photos and am sharing them with you over the next few days.

The photo on the right is me back in 1996. I remember thinking how cute I looked and how I hardly looked fat at all. I look so different now. Is it wrong to feel like you look better at 38 than you did at 27?

This is a photo of the Sands Expo Center. I had never seen the Expo Center covered with so many advertisements. Now, EVERY hotel is covered with advertisements for various companies when CES comes to town, but this looked unique to me. It felt like Las Vegas had been taken over by the computer geeks. The casinos and the strip clubs had to move over for the computers and software. It was a very exhilarating feeling.

This is a rare sighting of the Energizer Bunny in the wild. Actually, it was a balloon flown over the Las Vegas Hilton during Comdex, but I LOVE this photo for its Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom feel.

Let’s start out with the worst. This was hands-down, the most disappointing booth at Comdex in 1996. I remember looking at this booth, saying, “Wow, Mike! Look, it’s like virtual reality! We should try that one!” There was a long line and Mike replied, “They don’t really look like they’re having fun.” I made him stand in line anyway and sadly, Mike was right. It was just an advertisement for the company. I don’t even remember which one now, although I think it was for computer storage or something boring like that. I kind of expected it to act like a video game and move around when I moved my head or hands. Instead it was like wearing a TV on my head.

Here is a copy of Mylex’s webpage from 1998:

• Welcome To Mylex Corporation

Here is the story of what happened to Mylex:

• Mylex - once upon a time #1 RAID controller company profile on STORAGEsearch.com

Tune in tomorrow for more Comdex 1996 reminiscing.

You have a digital camera and you scanned in all your grandmother’s photographs back in 1999. Now, you find that your old scanner just kicked the bucket. Do you spend the money on a new one or can you just live without one? Here are five reasons why you still need a scanner.

1. Scrapbooking

Photo books are still very much alive today in the form of scrapbooking. If someone you love is into scrapbooking, then you must preserve a digital archive of their work. Even though you have a digital copy of the photographs, you don’t have a digital copy of the beautiful pages that your loved one has created. I promise you, in twenty years, those pages will be just as valuable as the raw photos they were created from. In this case, a scanner with a flatbed that can scan 12″ X 12″ sheets is essential. The Mustek Scan Express A3 1200 Pro is the most affordable scanner (priced at under $200) in the large format category. There is also the Mustek ScanExpress A3 USB Flatbed Scanner, which is a little over $200. The Epson GT-15000 Professional Scanner is considered the best, but it is priced at over $1000.

2. That Old Box of Negatives and Slides Collecting Dust In The Basement

Scanners like the HP Scanjet G4050 have attachments that can work with slides and negatives. The software can create photos from those old negatives and slides. Rather than risking loss at a photo developers, you can process your precious negatives on your own.

3. Receipts

The easiest way to keep track of your receipts is to scan them and store them on your computer. Then, if you have a warranty issue, you have documentation of every thing you’ve purchased. Instead of scrambling in a file, all you have to do is pull up the scan and print off a copy to prove your date of purchase.

4. Faxing

So much of our world has gone digital that we forget that there are still some old businesses that still use fax quite heavily. When you have to deal with those old-school businesses, it’s helpful to have the basic fax functions that today’s scanners still provide.

5. Scanner Art

Sometimes the camera just doesn’t do something justice, despite macro mode. Like pressed flowers before it, scanner art is becoming a known field of art that you just might enjoy. Here are a couple of links that talk about it:

• Creating Art work Using your Scanner

• REDONDOWRITER’S SACRED ORDINARY: New Ways of Seeing: Scanner Art

Final Notes

If you are trying to decide whether to buy a new scanner or if your current scanner is broken or unreliable, there are many inexpensive items to choose from. My favorite is the Canon CanoScan line, the newest of which is the CanoScan LiDE90 that is going for under eighty dollars. No matter what your needs, there is sure to be a scanner available that will work for you. Preserving your memories is well worth your time and money.

Anyone know what this thing is?

Here is KityKity’s description:

This is not a mouse. But sometimes I forget and grab it.

I have no idea what this thing is and I’m intrigued. Anyone out there have an idea?

Apple has done some more funny computer banner advertising, this time on CNet. You can see it here:

I love that this ad wouldn’t work on any other medium except on the web. I especially love that it doesn’t start talking at me the second I load up CNet. It just silently moves in the background and I’m not assaulted with it unless I choose to press the play button. I also like that it STOPS moving after a few seconds and doesn’t bother me after that.

Kudos to Apple for creating an ad that I WANT to see!