Productopia

Though many people use multifunction printers for their scanning needs, dedicated scanners are still the best way to convert an aging collection of photos, negatives and slides into a digital format. The Canon CanoScan 8800F (*Est. $180) is the reigning champion of multipurpose scanners according to reviews, and will meet the needs of most users. It does a particularly good job scanning photos, slides and film negatives. Beyond that, reviewers say it's a fine document scanner as well, and it's both PC and Mac compatible.

If you're on a budget, the entry-level Epson Perfection V300 scanner (*Est. $90) will not disappoint, according to reviewers. It's twice as fast as other budget scanners and comes bundled with decent photo editing and optical character recognition programs. It doesn't cut corners where it counts, either, with 4800-dpi optical resolution and 48-bit color depth. Like the aforementioned Canon, the Epson V300 scanner is also PC and Mac compatible. Professional photographers should step up to Epson's Perfection V700 (*Est. $550) and more sophisticated sibling Perfection V750-M Pro (*Est. $800).

In cooperation with the Consumer Products Safety Commission, Dorel Juvenile Group -- which manufactures infant cars seats under Cosco, Safety 1st, Disney and Eddie Bauer labels, has recalled almost half a million models. According to the CPSC, the carrying handle can break. So far, the agency has received 77 reports of breaking handles, three of which resulted in injuries to the baby. None of the affected car seats are top-rated in our report on infant car seats.

In cooperation with the Consumer Products Safety Commission, Dorel Juvenile Group -- which manufactures infant cars seats under Cosco, Safety 1st, Disney and Eddie Bauer labels, has recalled almost half a million models. According to the CPSC, the carrying handle can break. So far, the agency has received 77 reports of breaking handles, three of which resulted in injuries to the baby. None of the affected car seats are top-rated in our report on infant car seats. Read more

The writing was on the wall, and now it's official: Saab automobile brand is dead. After failing to put together a deal to offload the Swedish automaker to a 3rd party, and with Saab obviously unable to sustain itself in the marketplace thanks to dismal sales numbers, General Motors announced this morning that it would indeed be closing down the brand. The act is a dubious "anniversary present" of sorts -- twenty years ago this month, GM took its initial ownership stake in Saab.

What's a MiFi?

The MiFi 2200 (*Est. $50), offered by Verizon Wireless and Sprint, is similar to a cellular card for your laptop, but it differs in that it can be connected to as many as five Wi-Fi-enabled devices at once, from your laptop to your iPod touch to your digital camera. Geared toward those who need reliable Internet connections on the go, it's one step up from mobile broadband;  it's actually more like a "portable hot spot," since it can be easily shared. However, you'll have to pay additional monthly fees to use the service. Verizon and Sprint charge $60 per month for 5 GB of data; Verizon also offers a $40 monthly plan for 250 MB of data.

What do the reviews say?

The MiFi is called "drop-dead awesome in basically every meaningful way," by Engadget Mobile and is recommended by CNET's Dong Ngo over wireless cards, provided "you can afford the required service plans and keep within the required data limits." Professional reviewers generally rave about the MiFi, though there are some concerns. Mario Morejon at PCMag.com warns "you won't be connected very long if you use multiple Wi-Fi devices," referring to the MiFi's short battery life. He rates it highly, though he says Sprint's version of the MiFi is a bit easier to use and offers a few more features than its Verizon counterpart. In one of the most interesting tests, editors at InfoSyncWorld.com test out the MiFi between two moving cars, with pretty good results.