Brother™ Portable Scanners and Desktop Scanners

Mobile Scanners
Brother portable scanners are the perfect choice for small businesses, mobile professionals or anyone else who needs a compact mobile scanner loaded with high performance features. Scan photos, business cards, invoices, statements, receipts, contracts, forms, handwritten notes and more with these lightweight portable scanners that take up minimal space whether in a briefcase or on a desktop.

Brother portable scanners are powered through an included USB cable, allowing you to scan monochrome or color documents wherever you happen to be. Efficient and convenient, our portable scanners are the easy and affordable way to stay organized, reduce paper clutter and save time.

Image Center^TM DESKTOP SCANNERS
The Brother ImageCenter^TM desktop scanners are high-speed, reliable, high-quality and easy-to-use. They are the perfect choice for businesses and workgroups looking to scan to various destinations such as an E-Mail, OCR, file, image, USB flash memory drive or Android^TMtablet/mobile device. Additionally the ADS-2500W network model supports scan to E-Mail server, FTP, network and web (cloud) applications.

Take a moment to think about those multiple-step scanning operations that are done again and again, day after day. Scanning, editing, naming, choosing a file format – it’s so repetitive. Now imagine the time and money you could save by doing all that at the press of a button. That’s what the Brother ImageCenter^TM ADS desktop scanner series is all about. The ImageCenter^TM scanners with built-in, easy-to-use functionality let you capture, manage, process, and deliver PDFs and other file formats – automating processes that previously were time-consuming.

The Brother ImageCenter^TM desktop scanners are ideal for busy workgroups looking to maximize productivity and streamline scanning applications that were previously in printed form.

Sharp Introduces Cloud Portal Office

Cloud Portal Office

is a comprehensive document storage and sharing service that provides a convenient way for you to seamlessly connect to your business content and easily share and collaborate with team members, whether remotely or during in-person conferences. You can also capture, index and archive both paper and electronic documents in a single repository. Most importantly, IT administrators can manage and control user access in order to safeguard company data.

View cloud office e-brochure here.

Connect From Virtually Anywhere

Access your documents “On-the-Go”, whether at home, on the train or in a hotel room; stay connected, and continue to work as needed. Simply said Cloud Portal Office helps maximize the productivity of an increasingly mobile workforce.

Collaborate Seamlessly

You can quickly share with individuals or groups for collaborating on projects. This is especially useful when input from multiple people is needed in order to complete a project. Cloud Portal Office makes it easy to work together on a common goal.

Conference With Confidence

Be a star in the conference room; easily accessing meeting materials. Thanks to the AQUOS BOARD™ Interactive Display System integration, you no longer have to bring your computer to present your materials; simply sign-in and have access to your folders. And when you’re done, your content doesn’t stay behind. What’s more, others can easily share files for viewing with the exclusive “guest” feature.

Capture & Store Documents

Scan and index documents directly into the system. This creates a single repository for both your hardcopy and electronic files for easy retrieval from virtually any device including mobile platforms. For added conveneice you can even print PDFs and image files directly from the MFP.

Control Your Business Content

With Cloud Portal Office you have granular control of your content with enhanced folder sharing; you can set permissions by user or group and share as much or as little as you like. Designed for business, IT Administrators control access, manage users, reset passwords and more.

Here’s how you can attain a comfortable and ergonomic work area.

Headaches, muscle stiffness, and eye fatigue are common signs that you could work more comfortably. Keeping everyday items within easy reach is a great start to lessening strain but when your office is set up with ergonomics in mind, you’ll stay fresh longer and work more productively! See how you can make your work area more comfortable below.

SEATING

The right chair makes all the difference in being comfortable all day. Choose a chair that can be adjusted for your comfort. The height should be set so that your knees are level with your hips when your feet are on the floor.

COMPUTER STANDS, ANTI-GLARE SCREENS & COPY HOLDERS

Headaches can put a damper on being productive. Set up your computer monitor so that the top of the screen is just below eye level, about an arm’s length in front of you. Copy holders are available with highlighted line guides and adjustable viewing placement. Anti-glare filters and screens will also relieve eye strain.

FOOTRESTS & BACKRESTS

Footrests elevate feet and legs to relieve lower back pressure while backrests support your back and spine promoting good posture. Both can relieve pains associated with long periods of sitting.

WRIST RESTS & GLOVES

Soreness and fatigue in the hand, wrist and forearm is uncomfortable and preventable. Increase comfort and support and relieve pressure points with wrist rests and therapeutic gloves.

Check out all of our Egonomic Products at callsbm.com

Find Your Stuff – What A Great Product & App!

We stumbled across one of our greatest product finds recently. The Smead Stick & Find Location Tracker is an outstanding product that will keep track of up to 20 items right on your smartphone.

Never lose your keys again! Stick these Bluetooth® trackers to keys, luggage, electronics and more, and use the free Stick-N-Find app to find, track and, get alerts of your items, all from your smartphone. The Stick-N-Find product is a personal tracking device that works with iOS smartphones, tablets, and select Android devices supporting Bluetooth Low Energy. The App allows you to perform four great functions to aid you in tracking, monitoring, and retrieving personal items.

Use the free Radar app to track up to 20 items at once within 150 foot range and locate lost items with your smartphone. Virtual Leash function alerts you if an object moves out of selected range. Find It alerts give you notifications if an object comes within a selected range. Stick-N-Find stickers have a buzzer and light, so you can find stuff in the dark. Trackers are about the size of a quarter, so you can stick them just about anywhere. When you use Stick-N-Find, your items are never far away.

Compatibility: iOS devices with Bluetooth® 4.0 (iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, iPad 3 & 4, iPad Mini, iPod Touch 5th Generation, Samsung S3, S4, Note 2 and Note 3).

http://account.callsbm.com/e-info/img/eimages/britannia%20site/flyers/Smead%20stick%20and%20find.pdf

Brother Portable Scanners and Desktop Scanners

Mobile Scanners
Brother portable scanners are the perfect choice for small businesses, mobile professionals or anyone else who needs a compact mobile scanner loaded with high performance features. Scan photos, business cards, invoices, statements, receipts, contracts, forms, handwritten notes and more with these lightweight portable scanners that take up minimal space whether in a briefcase or on desktop.

Brother portable scanners are powered through an included USB cable, allowing you to scan monochrome or color documents wherever you happen to be. Efficient and convenient, our portable scanners are the easy and affordable way to stay organized, reduce paper clutter and save time.

ImageCenter? DESKTOP SCANNERS
The Brother ImageCenter? desktop scanners are high-speed, reliable, high-quality and easy-to-use. They are the perfect choice for businesses and workgroups looking to scan to various destinations such as a E-Mail, OCR, file, image, USB flash memory drive? and Android? tablet/mobile device?. Additionally the ADS-2500W network model supports scan to E-Mail server, FTP, network and web (cloud) applications?.

Take a moment to think about those multiple-step scanning operations that are done again and again, day after day. Scanning, editing, naming, choosing a file format ? it?s so repetitive. Now imagine the time and money you could save by doing all that at the press of a button. That?s what the Brother ImageCenter? ADS desktop scanner series is all about. The ImageCenter? scanners with built-in, easy-to-use functionality let you capture, manage, process, and deliver PDFs and other file formats – automating processes that previously were time-consuming.

The Brother ImageCenter? desktop scanners are ideal for busy workgroups looking to maximize productivity and streamline scanning applications that were previously in printed form.

Walking On The Job: Treadmill Desks | Neon Tommy

Walking On The Job: Treadmill Desks | Neon Tommy.

Working a nine-to-five job can be draining, especially if you’re sitting down for the majority of the day. Feeling exhausted isn’t the worst of it–heart disease, diabetes and obesity arecorrelated with individuals who don’t get enough exercise or live asedentary lifestyle.

Fortunately for some business men and women, companies like Intel, Googleand Microsoft are adopting a special type of equipment that gets their employees moving as they work. Enter the treadmill desk, a hybrid between a treadmill and a desk.

Unlike your average treadmill, a treadmill desk doesn’t have handles but instead a flat surface at the top of the machine where you can place your laptop or paperwork. The speeds are slow–they range from one to three mph. The low-impact speeds actually help with weight loss, promote blood flow and improve your overall mood.

Dr. James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic, created the first treadmill desk in 1996. For the first model, Dr. Levine simply placed a bedside hospital tray over a $400 treadmill. Companies have adapted his original idea and now make treadmill desks that range in price from $800 to a whopping $5000.

Some people opt for homemade versions, where they simply add raised tables to an already-purchased machine: an ideal solution for those who work from home.

Susan Orlean, a New Yorker staff writer, describes her homemade treadmill desk in an NPRinterview: “It’s a bit of an ungainly looking thing… I have a normal desk and then I have a kind of platform that sits on it and my computer sits on that platform… I stand on the treadmill, and I walk and I work on my computer, and I do phone calls, and I read and I do all the things that I normally do.”

Celebrities such as Jimmy Kimmel and Al Roker are also fans of treadmill desks.

LifeSpan is one of the few companies that carries treadmill desks. They currently have nine different models. In addition to their treadmill desks, LifeSpan also makes bike desks where you can pedal as you work.

Obviously, not all companies are equipped with treadmill desks. It’s good practice to incorporate a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity per day, either before or after your work day.

Susy Guerrero | October 3, 2013 | 6:54 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Attention Small Businesses! Don’t be a Victim to Counterfeits.

The United States Secret Service stated that it seized nearly $81 Million in Counterfeit US Dollars in Fiscal Year 2011-2012. – according to Kim Severson (New York Times) see full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/us/details-of-counterfeiting-ring-unfold-in-atlanta-case.html

Small Businesses are facing an increasing threat from counterfeit money. Secret Service agents say they are seeing an increase in counterfeiting because of easy access to modern printers and desktop publishing techniques.

Don’t be a victim. Be sure you have the most up to date counterfeit protection system for your needs.

Try the Dri-Mark TRI Test UV Counterfeit Detector
This detection system provides the ultimate protection against counterfeit currency and falsified documents. This ultra-portable system has a 3-way test that authenticates currency, passports, credit cards, traveler’s checks, and drivers licenses. The UV light reveals all the correct security threads and a white fluorescent backlight reveals the watermarks.

SBM offers the latest state-of-the-art counterfeit detection technologies to help keep you and your business safe!

Redecorating or Remodeling? There’s an app for that!

Recently members of our staff downloaded the app Houzz from the Android Market and the Apple App Store. Here’s what we found.

If you’re looking for inspiration, this app has it all and it has an excellent layout that is very easy to use on both Android and iPhones.

In the main menu you can choose to search or browse by photos, products, IdeaBooks (we’ll get into that soon), discussions, and professionals. There is also a spot called “Your Houzz” which allows you to save photos in your own virtual IdeaBook. You can either sign up through Facebook or set up a free account for this.

So here’s how it works. Let’s say you want to redesign or remodel your home office area. In the menu a great place to start to get ideas would be in the photo section. In the photo section scroll to the Home Office section and tap to open. Inside you find a plethora of high resolution images of home office spaces; you can even refine results by setting the specific style you are looking for.

The photo layout is excellent, in somewhat of a collage layout and the images are very vibrant. Tapping on the image opens up a large version and you can swipe through the remaining images from there, very smooth and easy.

Now imagine yourself scrolling through these images and you come across a design you absolutely love! You have the space to make your home office just like the photo but where do you get that cool office chair or that old fashion lamp? What is very cool about this app is that some of the images have animated green tags on certain products that you can click on to get more information. The tagged info will give you a close-up of the item, a price and a description, plus a link to where you can by this unique product. You won’t have to open you browser and perform a Google search and hope to find the exact item, it’s already there! Everything can be saved to your own IdeaBook or you can browse others by category. There is a ton of innovative tips and products that you may have never known existed.  You can find contractor tips, Do It Yourself ideas, tech advice, and much, much, more!

In addition to the IdeaBooks and photos you can search products and find professionals nearby to help with all your decorating and remodeling needs. Overall this is an excellent and well-designed app that has many useful functions. We’re positive you’ll love it and get some great ideas, so give it a try by searching Houzz in the Android Market or App Store.

Are you ready for the NEW YEAR?

2 things you must remember to do:

BACK UP ALL YOUR BUSINESS AND PERSONAL DATA

Back up all your important files, including images and music. This is one thing that most folks
forget to do. If we take lessons from recent hurricanes and other weather disasters where a
business or personal computer can be destroyed in a blink of an eye, the loss is not the $1000+ computer that can be replaced. What cannot be replaced is the priceless data, business/personal records, pictures and music that one compiled over years.
There are many ways to back up your system. Most common are the portable hard drives which can be kept in a fire safe in your office. For a larger enterprise, tape backup is usually the best solution. There are now also services called “Cloud backup services” where you transmit your important files to a series of highly protected server facilities with redundant systems to ensure your data is accessible at all times and fully protected.
The important thing to remember is to back up regularly and if you are using a portable device, make sure you have a fire safe where you can keep that drive safe.

REMEMBER TO SHRED ALL OLD FILES

Shredding confidential information can protect you and your business from security breaches and identity theft. Shredding will also keep you in compliance with the new HIPAA Privacy and Security regulations.

Don’t forget to shred all those unsolicited offers for credit, these can be targets for identity thieves.

When choosing a shredder, knowing how much you usually need to shred and how often, will help you purchase a unit that will do that work. The lowest cost device is not always the best solution.