THE GOODS : Is That Your Business Card Or Your New Cell Phone?
Due out this fall is Sony’s new cellular telephone that’s smaller than a cassette tape and truly can fit in a shirt pocket.
The CM-RX100 measures 3 1/2-by-2 3/8-by-1 1/8 inches. This analog phone provides 90 minutes of talk time and 22 hours of standby time. An LCD panel displays telephone numbers, and the device offers hands-free dialing with an optional infrared remote dialing card. There’s also a separate adapter kit that enables the CM-RX100 to be used with laptops.
The little phone is so new, Sony still hasn’t put a price on it. A Sony representative says it will sell for “a high-end mass market price,” which probably translates to $500 to $600. For information, call Sony at (800) 342-5721.
Don’t Remember? This Recorder Will
Olympus has introduced the Pearlcorder S950, a micro-cassette recorder with a unique time/date function so users know exactly when they’ve recorded something.
The new function automatically records the time and date every 30 seconds, and displays the information in a small window during recording and playback. Weighing only six ounces with batteries, the Pearlcorder S950 can record up to two hours and runs on two AA batteries.
The Pearlcorder S950 is also equipped with an electronic index function, which can be used to mark an important tape segment and find it easily during playback. At the end of a passage, just push the index button and the machine will record it. During playback, the tape will stop at each index mark.
Another feature is “variable controlled voice activation,” which records subject matter at a user-controlled level. If there is a lot of background noise where you are recording, adjust this function and the Pearlcorder S950 will filter the interference and record your voice clearly.
The Pearlcorder S950 ($149.95) is available at nationwide electronics and office supply stores and mass merchandisers. If you can’t find it, call Olympus at (800) 622-6372.
Keeping Track of the Kids Just Got Easier
Computer-owning families can say goodby to scraps of paper with family information scattered in files and drawers all over the house.
Seattle-based FamilyWare Products Inc. has just come out with Family Info, a software program designed so you can keep your savings account number, dates of Junior’s immunizations, relatives’ birth dates and other vital family facts all in one electronic filing system.
Available in disk or CD-ROM, Family Info features humorous color graphics and a simple fill-in-the-blank format. There are separate files for each family member and for the family as a whole, plus password options and security levels to protect private files.
You can view information on screen, print out portions of the list that you need or print complete records.
Other family programs from FamilyWare are Family Babybook, Family Valuables, Family Memoirs, Family Pets, Family Cats and Family Dogs. Each title can be linked to the others to create a single database that can be updated and expanded.
Family Info ($19.95) is available at major mass market and computer store chains. For more information call FamilyWare at (800) 313-7333.
