Product Roundup: Four Tools That Work
Organize Sales Leads
The new portable CardScan Executive 600c/V6 from Corex Technologies enables you to get paper-based business cards into your computer in a hurry. CardScan's software includes a full-function address book and also makes it easy to export and synchronize contact info with Outlook, ACT!, GoldMine, and Palm Desktop. It even scans cards directly into Surado's Smart Contact Manager. The unit we tested worked very well with virtually all of the cards we scanned, only having trouble with a couple of super-artsy cards that had small light-colored type on dark paper. The 600c also stores full-color images of cards, including logos and pix, and sells, with CardScan's new Version 6 software, for about $250. The new software will also enhance the performance of older CardScan units and is well worth the $29-$79 upgrade price. ScanCard.Net. is a free secure service that lets V6 users upload scanned cards to CardScan's servers for backup and verification. The service even enables your "scanned" contacts to update their contact info online when they change numbers, jobs, or even companies.
Home on the Road
BusinessMAP Travel Edition from ESRI is a mapping tool that is perfect for call planning, distributing leads, contacting targeted mailing lists, and other sales and marketing activities. BusinessMAP also helps you find hotels, restaurants, copy centers, and other essential services while on the road. It accurately located our favorite Irish pubs in White Plains. The versatile program even lets you search for customers between your first and last appointment or draw circles, rectangles, or polygons on your map to find all database records or geographies within the area. BusinessMAP can be launched directly from within many contact manager programs or Outlook and can download maps and door-to-door driving directions to Palm OS PDAs. The $49.95 program includes Dun & Bradstreet's database of 11 million business listings.
Take Note
The latest smart tool from Seiko Instruments is its small and efficient InkLink. The unit lets you instantly transfer notes or drawings from an ordinary pad of paper to your PDA or laptop. Real-time transfer is accomplished via either a USB or a wireless IrDA link, and the product's InkNote Manager software helps you edit, organize, and distribute the results. Drawings and notes can be saved as .bmp, .jpeg, .png, or .ink files and can be beamed or e-mailed using the included software. The InkLink system sells for $99.95 and includes six months of "lost and found" protection service with BoomerangIt.
Wireless Wonder
Motient's MobileModem for the Palm V hand-held works like a charm right out of the box. It's an excellent tool for mobile professionals who depend on instant access to e-mail to stay on top of fast-changing projects. MobileModem's "Always-on" feature automatically awakens your PDA as e-mail arrives. The modem is priced at $180, and eLink e-mail service is available at two levels. The basic $19.95 monthly fee covers approximately 25 e-mails a day, and unlimited service costs $49.95 per month.
Sidebar: New Handwriting Capture System from Seiko Instruments
The new Seiko Instruments InkLink Handwriting System is the ultimate tool for instantly capturing your handwriting or drawings directly to your handheld, your laptop, or your Windows(tm) Desktop PC. The InkLink ballpoint pen lets you sketch your notes on ordinary paper up to legal size, and its Data Clip clips onto any single piece of paper or your favorite 50-sheet tablet. Enjoy easy edit features like cut, copy, paste, undo, redo, move text and drawings, and pan and zoom. You can also write and draw in seven colors.
The InkLink software lets you organize files the easy way, using categories and key words. View your files as multi-page thumbnails or use the "details" view.
The InkLink Handwriting System includes universal infrared and USB connectivity.
Everything you need for mobile client site note taking fits in the convenient carrying case for pocket or purse. See it now at www.seikosmart.com.
