Omega Scientific

This week I heard of a new product that I thought was pretty interesting.  It’s called the Trackstick, and it uses GPS technology to log where its been.  Its actually pretty cool because you can use Google Maps or Google Earth and it will draw a line down the streets you’ve been to, log the date and time, how fast you were going, and more.

I’m not condoning this practice, but the Trackstick would actually be a good tool for parents who find themselves constantly sick with worry.  I actually knew a girl whose parents trusted her so little, they actually put some kind of a tracking device in her car.  It was a long time ago, so it probably wasn’t a trackstick, and it was probably something a lot more expensive.

Anyway, there probably are some parents out there that have real reason to suspect that their teen is driving recklessly, going to the liquore store, or doing other things that would put them and others at risk.  I’d actually recommend the trackstick if this is the case.  I know I want less drunk teens out there on the road.

The venerable quandary of complying with record retention policies has always been a struggle for companies, large and small.  Most companies are not in a favorable position to deal with major legal issues and litigation as a result of the current document management systems.  Not to mention the high cost of e-discovery and tracking down documents and files that have not properly been maintained according to document management policies. 

One of the most effective and efficient ways to attain complete compliance is using record retention software, especially with the introduction of electronic data storage.  The software typically has the capability to track, upload, and delete documents according to the measures you set in place. 

Many of you business oriented people that need to stay connected to your work email server 24/7 probably are familiar with mobile internet.  Many people these days are getting it on their smart phone or on their laptop through an aircard their service provider gives them.  But you can now share this signal with anyone you want with a mobile broadband router.

These routers (also known as 3G routers since they work on 3G data networks) accept the PCMCIA cards, expresscards, and USB dongles that your cell provider like Verizon or Sprint give you.  They then turn that 3G signal into a standard Wifi signal that anyone with wireless internet on their laptop can use.  Just imagine being able to travel anywhere and carry a portable wifi signal wherever you go.  Amazing!

There are an increasing amount of sound options out there, and one of them is optical audio.  Optical Audio, or Toslink, uses digital audio signals that avoid noise or the same connection problems that analog audio uses.  The most common audio jack on computers these days is the analog audio mini-stereo output that is usually marked green.  This is fine for when you just need basic desktop speakers, but what if you want surround sound for gaming or movies?

If you don’t want to upgrade your sound card to something ridiculously expensive and you have a free USB port, you can try using a USB to Toslink external sound card.  You’ll of course need a sound system that supports Toslink, but once you have it all set up, you will be glad you did.

You’re probably scared of the new HDMI 1.3 switch, so I’m here to hold your hand while you take the plunge.  What do you have to lose?  Maybe several hundred, or even a thousand dollars, but look at the benefits… new high definition sound from Dolby HD or DTS HD… deep color allowing for a trillion colors, higher bandwidth, automatic A/V sync, the availability of a miniature connector.. what are you waiting for?

If you’re serious about switching, well, you’re going to need a new HDMI 1.3 switch.  We recommend the EXT-GEFENTV1.3-441 from Gefen.

Looking for a way to slice and dice your HDMI signal from a single source to two separate displays? Look no further than Gefen’s EXT-HDMI-142, this phenomenal device will allow you take the HDMI signal coming from a source, like your PS3, Xb0×360, Blu-Ray DVD player, and so forth-and mirror that signal onto two monitors, LCDs, Plasmas, or whichever is your display of choice!

When it comes to display splitters, one must always be wary of getting a passive display splitter, for those devices simply chop the incoming signal in half and send each half to a display, resulting in serious degradation of visual quality due to the signal loss. Fortunately, there are alternatives to passive splitters, such as the EXT-HDMI-142, which is an active signal splitter, meaning that it goes through all the processing necessary to duplicate the inbound signal flawlessly before sending a complete signal to each of the two displays!

This technology boasts a variety of potential uses, from uniting home media stations throughout your house to coordinating the workflow in your office, HDMI splitters are an invaluable addition to anyone’s multimedia arsenal.

So why wait? Heavyweight technology and heavyweight support without the heavyweight price; available today at Sewelldirect.

HDMI 1.3, the newest revision of the popular HDMI interface, is starting to make waves in the high definition home entertainment arena - it’s the next big thing. So what, you ask, is so cool about the newest HDMI on the block? Here are a few highlights (compared with the last release, HDMI 1.2):

• Signal Bandwidth:
  • Then: 165 MHz Now: 340 MHz
• TMDS Bandwidth:
  • Then: 4.95 Gbit/s Now: 10.2 Gbit/s
• Video Bandwidth
  • Then: 3.9 Gbit/s Now: 8.16 Gbit/s
• Highest possible Resolution
  • Then: 1920x1080p60 Now: 2560x1600p60
• Maximum Color Depth (bits per pixel)
  • Then: 24 Now: 48

Other highlights include xvYCC Color and Deep Color capability, supporting over one billion colors.  And good news for Dolby fans:  Dolby Digital Plus (DD+), Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, truly high-fidelity audio experiences, can all be carried over HDMI 1.3.

Companies are already selling many HDMI 1.3 switches and splitters, like the EXT-HDMI1.3-441, a 4×1 switcher that allows you to switch one HDMI 1.3 source between up to four different displays.

Since VGA is an analog signal, you don’t have to worry too much about repeaters until you get into the 100 ft. range.  At that point you’ll probably begin to experience some signal loss.

Still, there are advantages to using special components to sending your VGA far.  Instead of getting an expensive 100 foot long cable, you can use Cat5 which is far more economical.  For example, say you get a 100 foot long cable and the cable gets kinked or damage sometime down the road.  The whole cable becomes worthless.  With the EXT-VGA-141SR by Gefen you can send a VGA signal to up to 150 feet.

Not only is Cat5 cable more cost effective and easier to install, the Gefen VGA extender will ensure that your VGA signal arrives to its distant destination without any loss.

This is a question that I’m asked a lot - how can I add another monitor to my laptop?

Most laptops have at least one additional VGA or DVI port, so adding an additional monitor is pretty easy. You simply get a VGA or DVI cable and hook up your monitor and your laptop, enable the monitor through your display settings and everything works. Not too hard.

If you don’t have an external port for an additional monitor, though, you need a workaround. Also, if you want to add more than one additional monitor (say 2, 3, 4 or 5) you are pretty short on options.

Recent technology breakthroughs by DisplayLink, though, put you in business. With an external video card (also known as a USB to DVI Adapter), which uses the DisplayLink chip, you can easily add up to five additional monitors without having to mess with internal cards, video splitters and complicated desktop software.

An external video card will also work with a desktop and is great for people who don’t want to pony up the cash for a multi-port video card (which can be very expensive if it has more than 2 video ports).

Many people are intimidated by the prospect of networking their own home. For some reason, network seems to belong in the office in many people’s minds. But with the widespread availability of NAS devices and media servers, as well as baluns and other tools that let you extend media and other controls over Cat5, maybe it’s time you started considering some advantages of networking your home. Get some inexpensive cat5e and a crimper and hop to!