ReviewLab.com

Easily Digitize Stacks of Business Cards

 While business cards might seem a bit dated given all of the great things the internet offers, they still serve a purpose. And with that, you're likely collecting a stack of cards you simply don't have the time to enter into your address book.

For years, you could buy the CardScan "scanner" and OCR your cards, then import. But that was a hassle and time consuming. Of course, innovation triumphs and CloudContacts is to the rescue.

For a low cost, prepurchase the number of cards you want scanned. Ship em in. Within a matter of days, your contacts can be downloaded and imported into your address book.

I tested the service with about 300 cards I had accumulated. It was literally a matter of days before I could import the contact file. My use was simple - CSV to Outlook. But CloudContacts makes it easy to plug into various CRM solutions and social platforms too.

The newest feature is a visual of the cards you sent in - so you can confirm the information or view and scribbled notes. This is a good feature, since it doesn't appear that you can get your cards back (they are recycled) - but why would you need them anyway.

I haven't noticed any errors, so the quality appears to be quite high. The only drawback I experienced was the cards didn't have a "scan" date, so when I sent additional cards, it wasn't clear which were the new ones to download. All in all, this is a great service and probably has many practical uses.

Auto-Animate Photos into Movies

Got lots of photos? Most of us do. Need to liven them up a bit but don't have the technical chops? Animoto makes it super easy to make a movie from your photos.

Yes, make a full-fledged movie. And no boring still slide show either. Animoto animates the presentation of your photos dynamically to the music you choose. The speed and effects and magically synchronized to the tune!

Best of all - it's easy and cheap. Start by uploading photos, or integrating with your Flickr photo account. Select the images you want to animate. You can even select which ones to emphasize.

Second, choose your tune. You can upload an MP3 or select one of their stock songs.

Then the magic begins. You can download or share the movie. For an extra few bucks you can even get a hi-def version.

There is one clear drawback to Animoto - the total length of your movie is limited to either the number of images you have OR the length of your music...something will get cut. Of course, there are tweaks to set speed and other tweaks to make the best of it. But you really can't go wrong with such an amazing product.

Sirius Offers Ultimate Music Variety, Portability

Any of these sound familiar? Tired MP3 collection. Aren't into buying MP3s. Can't stand traditional radio. Internet streaming radio isn't portable.

Satellite radio just might fit your needs. And with the right equipment, you can still lean back on that old MP3 collection.

I've been a satellite radio subscriber for nearly 4 years now. I started with Sirius and a poorly designed portable receiver (early adopter). I switched to XM for a good portable receiver, but found I liked the Sirius line up better. I would imagine as time passes, both services will begin to offer similar line ups and hardware, making them pretty much the same - which makes deciding which network to choose very easy.

Rather than being tied down to a hard wired installation in my car or home, I wanted ultimate portability - like an MP3 player. I have a handheld unit (which can store MP3s as well) with a dock for my car so I can take it anywhere. And you can use these things just about anywhere the antenna can see the sky. Reception is great - especially for backcountry travelers.

Another great benefit is access to internet streaming of the Sirius line up. They don't offer every channel, but most are covered. Like any streaming service, you simply login. For the "premium" sound quality, you need to pay an extra $3/month, but I find its worth it.

Only two gripes about Sirius: they still have DJs and repetition does exist. I never understood why satellite radio stations insisted on having DJs - that is a big reason I avoid traditional radio. Sirius is a centrally broadcast, computer controlled platform. I pay for the music or news, not annoying chatter. Finally, if you find a few stations you like and you listen to them often (say on a trip or weekend errands), you're bound to get some repetition. For instance, I love NPR. Weekend NPR often rebroadcasts the same talk shows several times per day.

All in all, for around $12 a month (the cost of 12 MP3s), Sirius is a great value. Now you just need to find the hardware that works for you.

Stiletto 2: Comprehensive iPod Music Alternative

Streaming music and MP3 player in one - where ever you go - home, out and about, in the car. In town, in the middle of nowhere. That's the Stiletto 2.

The Stiletto 2 offers the best of all worlds for the not-so-hardcore music junkie who has a large, perhaps aging, MP3 collection, but needs to freshen things up a bit.

Like your typical MP3 player, the Stiletto holds 2 GB of MP3s. Not huge, but enough to carry ample alternatives. As a matter of fact, you can drag and drop your existing iTunes collection right to the Stiletto.

With the included antenna headphones, you can pick up the satellite channels anywhere outside. Or simply switch to your MP3 library. Though I don't use this feature much, you can record the satellite stream and playback later.

If you're inside a building with WIFI, you can pickup the satellite music via easy to configure WIFI receiver built in. Use the included earbuds too.

There are various accessories as well, including the car docking station, which is great for traveling.

The Stilletto 2 is the second generation of this design and works well. It's available on both Sirius and XM services.

This is my third portable satellite radio receiver and the best one I have seen. For the casual iPod user, it provides similar functionality and then some. At around $200 after rebates, its a bit more than your basic MP3 player, but the price is justified by the great feature set.

Gas Your Open Wine to Preserve Its Shelf Life

What kills a good wine is air - oxygen. A little is good, but a lot is bad. That's why when you leave a wine open on the counter overnight, it usually tastes terrible the next day.

Ever see those restaurants with fancy wine dispensing setups that have bunches of tubes connected to bottles with little spickets? Well, assuming you don't have thousands of dollars for that, the next best thing is Private Preserve.

Essentially, what the fancy restaurant setup does is reduces or eliminates the amount of air/oxygen in an open wine bottle. They displace the air with a noble gas, which is heavier than air, and won't oxidize the wine. That's what Private Preserve does for the home wine drinker.

We've gotten an extra few days from an open bottle of wine - red or white - with wine gassing. While it's not full proof, wine gassing is certainly better than simply corking the bottle or the "vacuum" type systems which try to extract air from a bottle.

The gas cans usually cost about 10 bucks and seem lighter than air. But you get dozens of uses from one can. Like the Screwpull and Wine Aerator, any wine drinker needs Private Preserve.