Notebooks & Accessories

News: Belkin Joins the G Crowd

Speaking of 802.11g, Belkin recently announced products compatible with the new high-speed wireless LAN specification. Among the lineup are the 54g Wireless Notebook Network Card ($80), which fits into 32-bit PC Card CardBus slots, supports 64-bit and 128-bit encryption, and uses a low-power-consumption chip set designed to keep notebooks running longer, the company says.

Reader Response: Don't Overlook the BJC-85

In a recent newsletter, I reviewed the automatic sheet feeder and scanner cartridge accessories for Canon's BJC-55, a portable bubble-jet printer that I've found helpful on trips. (The cartridge, when snapped into the ink well, transforms the printer into a scanner.)

Betty J. Van Wicklen, of the Albany, New York area, responded with a review of her own: "I recommend the Canon BJC-85, which, although a bit larger and heavier than the BJC-55, has a built-in 30-sheet feeder and also accepts the scanner cartridge, which gives very accurate renderings of graphics and charts. The documentation is not terribly helpful, I grant you, but the accompanying software is pretty self-explanatory and should serve most traveling needs.

"The printer also produces reasonably good photo prints at 4 by 6 inches. No portable printer can match a good desktop printer, but I have been favorably impressed by the BJC-85. True, the additional size/weight constraints (compared to the BJC-55) make it a less-than-serviceable choice for a true road warrior. But the BJC-85 is an admirable performer, and the convenience of the built-in sheet feeder is worth its weight in gold for me."

The BJC-85 ($300) measures 11.8 by 2.3 by 6.2 inches and weighs 3.1 pounds, according to Canon--and that includes the built-in sheet feeder. The BJC-55 ($350), by comparison, measures 11.9 by 2 by 4.4 inches and weighs 2.1 pounds. But that doesn't include the optional sheet feeder ($60), which adds another 12.3 by 7.2 by 2.8 inches and 2.2 pounds to the BJC-55. or the best prices on the Canon BJC-85, check out the PCWorld.com Product Finder.

News: USB Device Lets You Keep Files to Yourself

If you're worried that the data on your notebook could fall into the hands of enemy agents, then you've obviously been reading too much Robert Ludlum. But if you're just concerned about data security, Griffin Technologies has something for you: the SecuriKey Personal Edition ($150), a small USB token-like device that fits on a key ring. SecuriKey comes with two similar devices (in case you lose one). Slip one into a USB port, then use the software installation wizard on your Windows XP or 2000 notebook to create a password and set security limits. From then on, accessing your secured data requires both the password and the token inserted into the USB port. If your notebook is stolen, no sweat--Griffin Technologies says that no one else can access data that you've classified as private.

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