Top 10 2010 Technology Gifts

Below is the 2010 Technology Gift Guide from the Detroit Free Press. We hope it helps you find a gift for someone on your list, or one for yourself!

For the student: Livescribe Echo smartpenPrice: 

Price: $169.95

This incredibly smart pen records everything you write and hear. Using an infrared sensor in its tip and special dot-covered paper, it pairs the audio it records with exactly what you were writing at the time. So, if you turn back in your notebook to a set of bullet points from a past lecture, you can tell the pen to play back exactly the clip of audio it recorded while you were writing those bullet points. The pen also produces what the company calls pencasts, exporting a Flash movie file so you can view your notes and paired audio as a movie and share it with friends.

www.livescribe.com

 

For the future viral video star: Looxcie wearable camcorder
Price: $199
This camcorder rests on your ear and looks a lot like a Bluetooth headset. It pairs with your Android smartphone and it continuously records the last five hours of everything you see -- you'll never miss a chance to capture and post the latest viral video. When something happens that you want to post online, just hit a button on the Looxcie and it automatically clips the last 30 seconds. Then you can upload that clip from your smartphone to Facebook, YouTube or Twitter.
www.looxcie.com

For the über geek: TikTok iPod Nano watchband
Price: $25
Little did Apple know when it released the tiny and square iPod Nano this fall that it had also released a dream touchscreen watch for the geek in all of us. Lots of watchbands are out for the Nano to use its watch-face mode, but this is the best.
www.kickstarter.com

For the business-minded: Motorola Droid Pro
Price: $179.99 after $100 mail-in rebate from Verizon
The latest in Verizon's popular Droid line of Android-based smartphones is aimed directly at BlackBerry users who love their physical keyboards and corporate security features. Those features -- including remote data wipe and encryption -- are now bundled in the Droid Pro for Motorola, which also boasts all the power of Google's increasingly polished Android operating system.
www.verizonwireless.com

For the kind-hearted: Red Cross music gift card
Price: $25 per soldier
Sometimes the best gifts we can give are to people we've never even met. The American Red Cross offers the opportunity to sponsor one, two or four injured service members who will receive a $25 MP3 music gift card through your gift. The service members can then download music while they're recovering and relax to their favorite tunes.
redcross.org /gifts

For the bookworm: Amazon Kindle
Price: $139 for WiFi model; $189 for model with WiFi and 3G wireless access
There may be no hotter gift out there this holiday season than an e-reader. It's been a brisk year full of newcomers and price drops, but one device still reigns supreme: the Amazon Kindle. The new Kindle is incredibly light and its screen has 50% better contrast than any other e-ink display. Splurge for the 3G model; you never know when you'll need to download the latest best-seller.
www.amazon.com

For the busy housekeeper: Neato XV-11 vacuum
Price: $399
This isn't the first or most high-profile robot vacuum, but the Neato Robotics XV-11 is a clear winner. It uses laser-guided technology to map your rooms, cleaning deep into corners and easily moving from carpet to hardwood. It automatically detects doorways, making sure it finishes the entire room before it scoots on to the next. You can schedule it to vacuum every week or day at a certain time and when it's finished it automatically returns itself to its charging station to prepare for its next use.
www.neatorobotics.com

For the audiophile: Beats Solo HD headphones from Monster
Price: $229.95
For the music lover in your life, a pair of high-quality headphones is a wonderful gift. Too many of us don't know what we're missing by using the cheap headphones that come with music players. These stylish headphones are part of a high-end audio line from rap mogul Dr. Dre. The Solo HD headphones also pair well with the Apple iPhone to allow for hands-free calling, and with the playback control features of iPods.
www.beatsbydrdre.com

For the movie buff: Netflix subscription
Price: $7.99 per month
It's been a huge year for Netflix, which now boasts more than 16 million subscribers. A subscription to the video-streaming service is the centerpiece of any truly digital lifestyle. And just recently, Netflix added a subscription option for just streaming movies, so you don't have to get DVDs in the mail anymore. You can sponsor from one to 12 months of the service and have it sent in a nicely formatted e-mail to anyone on your holiday list. It's a must-have for anyone with an Apple iPad or gaming console.
www.netflix.com

Press Release Wednesday: 4th Edition

Here at the Advisor, the second Wednesday of the month is reserved for an installment series of Ashcom Press Release. We hope this keeps you in the loop of what's happening and what's new. Happy Reading!

Ashcom Technologies and MaintiMizer™ Help Hospitals Meet Joint Commission Accreditation Requirements

Ann Arbor, Michigan (November 15, 2010) – Meeting Joint Commission accreditation requirements is less time-consuming and more cost-effective for hospitals and health care organizations that use MaintiMizer™ as their computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).

Timothy Good, president of Ashcom Technologies, Inc., explains how his company’s CMMS makes achieving and maintaining accreditation easier: “The Joint Commission standard on equipment maintenance seems straightforward: organizations are required to follow manufacturers’ recommendations for preventive maintenance. But when you consider the number of pieces of equipment a hospital has in its inventory, you see just how challenging it can be to establish and maintain a thorough preventive maintenance program. Our health care customers across the country—including the Mayo Clinic, Emerson Hospital, and the Mercy Hospitals—tell us that using MaintiMizer™’s inventory and preventive maintenance modules is key to their ability to cost-effectively manage these tasks and create the accurate documentation needed to meet Joint Commission standards.”

MaintiMizer™’s preventive maintenance module is designed to meet the same goal as the Joint Commission standards: making sure that equipment works properly when it is needed through regular maintenance in accordance with manufacturer/industry standards. Regular preventive maintenance extends equipment life by reducing machinery stress and wear, saving the facility time and money and—most importantly—saving the lives of patients. Contact Ashcom Technologies today to find out how MaintiMizer™ can help your healthcare organization meet Joint Commission accreditation requirements.

Case Study: 4th Edition

The first Wednesday of the month is reserve for case studies. We hope our case studies showcase how MaintiMizer™ can be the CMMS solution you are looking for!

YMCA of Metro Detroit Shapes Up | CMMS Software Case Study

Situation  

"Our buildings were falling down faster than we could fix them," said Ed Williams, Facility Maintenance Supervisor for the thirteen locations of the YMCA of Metro Detroit. "We didn't have complete facility maps or maintenance records. Our purchase orders were stored in notebooks. When maintenance staff left, we didn't know what units needed to be fixed and often had no idea where to find those units in the first place."
The results were predictable - cold swimming areas, overheated gymnasiums, dissatisfied members, and frustrated employees.   The search for a solution took Ed and his colleagues in two directions.
First, they considered completely outsourcing all facility maintenance functions. Although outsourcing would eliminate having to deal with maintenance issues directly, the cost was too high to justify the benefit.
Next, they investigated computerized maintenance management systems. They agreed that any system selected must meet three criteria: it must be cost-effective; it must be easy to use, even for staff members without computer skills; and it must be able to tie into the existing computer network, including the accounts payable and receivable systems.
After researching several systems, they discovered one that met all three requirements: the MaintiMizer™ from Ashcom Technologies of Ann Arbor, MI.  

Solution  

The MaintiMizer™ allows YMCA staff members to enter a maintenance work order directly and immediately into the system. At the beginning of their shifts and throughout the day, maintenance personnel log on to the system and retrieve work orders prioritized by importance. If a new part is needed, the system generates a purchase order that is forwarded electronically to a supervisor for immediate approval. Once the work is completed, maintenance personnel log back on to update the maintenance log for that unit.
The MaintiMizer™ also stores all related maintenance management information, including facility maps and equipment locations, preventive maintenance schedules, vendor lists, and parts lists.  
"Now," says Ed Williams, "purchase orders that used to take a week to be approved are resolved in a matter of minutes. We've also seen measurable cost savings by batch ordering parts for multiple facilities - recently we saved $200 on a single air filter order."

Over time, Ed and his colleagues expect to enjoy cost benefits from improved equipment performance and longer equipment life as a result of following a regular preventive maintenance schedule. They also expect a decrease in maintenance staff turnover and the associated costs of hiring and training.   The benefits resulting from satisfied members and staff are more difficult to measure, but are nonetheless there.
Says Ed Williams, "Using the MaintiMizer™ system has worked out well for everyone."    

Enjoy this article? Can't wait for next month's installment? Get a jump start and read future case studies yet to be featured in the Ashcom Advisor Case Study Series at: www.AshcomTech.com.