Tech: Small-Scale Scanning

While lots of people have gone digital, there are still times when a scanner would be handy for emailing an older print or posting it on an online photo site. The Visigo Photo Scanner from Ambir Technology is a 600-dpi model about the size of a stapler that plugs into any USB port and works with popular image-editing programs like Adobe Photoshop Elements. It draws power from your computer, so no batteries or other power supplies are needed. In tests, the Visigo took 25 seconds to scan a 4-in. by 6-in. photo. While it can't handle anything wider than 4 inches, the Visigo is a handy space saver that gets the job done fast. We noticed that the scanned images weren't quite as detailed as the originals. Our other quibble: at $150, it's a sizable investment.