DIGITAL GEAR - Satellite messenger reaches earth

If a cell network goes down in an emergency, satellites could be used to send a distress call. Spot Inc.'s Spot messaging device uses satellites to send rescue alerts to emergency responders or to family members via SMS (Short Message Service) or e-mail. A more earthly gadget is Iogear Inc.'s Digital Scribe, a digital pen and receiver package that records, recognizes and digitizes handwritten notes immediately from a normal pad. Staying on earth, Logitech Inc.'s Pure-Fi Dream speaker system plays songs from both iPods and iPhones.

Satellite IM

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If a cell network goes down in an emergency, satellites could be used to send a distress call. Spot Inc.'s Spot messaging device uses satellites to send rescue alerts to emergency responders or to family members via SMS (Short Message Service) or e-mail. A more earthly gadget is Iogear Inc.'s Digital Scribe, a digital pen and receiver package that records, recognizes and digitizes handwritten notes immediately from a normal pad. Staying on earth, Logitech Inc.'s Pure-Fi Dream speaker system plays songs from both iPods and iPhones.

Satellite IM

With the press of a button, Spot Inc.'s Spot satellite messaging device sends rescue alerts to emergency responders or to family and friends via SMS or e-mail nearly anywhere in the world. With Spot's GPS tracking, emergency authorities will be able to pinpoint where a message originated.

The gadget is helpful for outdoor enthusiasts, who risk getting hurt where help is not easily available, said Mark Brinkerhoff, a Spot spokesman. It can also be used to simply alert friends and family that you have reached a location, Brinkerhoff said.

If a user presses the 911 button, Spot contacts local emergency responders or search-and-rescue teams. The company has contracted with global security company Geos Alliance for the service.

The device also has a 'Help' button, which sends predetermined rescue instructions or notes as e-mail to five addresses and as text messages to five mobile phones. The messages, phone numbers and e-mail addresses can be set up ahead of time on Spot's Web site.

The handheld gadget weighs 7 ounces (198 grams) and uses two AA batteries, with a standby life of one year, according to the company. It works in temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 degrees Celsius) to 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius). Spot claims its satellite network is 99.94 percent reliable.

The device costs US$149, with additional fees tacked on for services. The yearly service costs $99, and the optional Geos Alliance private rescue service costs $8 per year. Spot also offers a service called Spotcasting, which tracks the progress of a user's journey on Google Maps every 10 minutes, for $49 per year.

Spot works anywhere in the world, excluding a few locations such as Sub-Saharan Africa and the north and south poles, according to John Dark, Spot's senior marketing manager.

Spot's ability to send but not receive alerts makes it a one-dimensional gadget, but its wide reach makes it a good safety net for people who want the closest rescuers they can get.

Iogear's digital pen

Digitizing handwritten notes gets easier with Iogear's Digital Scribe, which tracks a note as it is written on an ordinary pad and immediately transcribes it as digital text on a computer.

The package includes a pen and a receiver that clips on top of a pad and connects to a PC through a USB port. The receiver, with an infrared sensor, tracks notes written on a normal pad by the digital pen, which has a transmitter. Via the USB connection, it copies the notes to a PC. Included software for the PC recognizes the handwriting and converts the notes to text.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.