THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 4, 1995 TAG: 9512020105
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Tech track: Gadgets and Gizmos for the next century
SOURCE: BY JAMES SCHULTZ, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
TOO BAD YOU CAN'T be digitized and sent electronically all over the country. Sure would save on travel time and money. Not to mention meals.
Now, California company InfoImaging Technologies says what can't be done for humans can be done for computerized documents, spreadsheets, graphics and program files. InforImaging claims its software package called ``3D Fax'' can boil down up to 30 pages worth of printing into one faxable sheet of paper.
The program first turns information into the binary code read by computers - zeros and ones - then looks for ways to ``compress,'' or reduce, that information to a bare minimum. Key to the data compression is finding certain patterns that repeat - for instance, the use of the phrase ``he said'' - and subsequently converting such patterns into brief code.
3D Fax finally transforms the compressed document or file into a series of black and white dots that, when printed, resemble a rectangular grid.
Senders need a computer with an internal fax-modem to properly transmit. Recipients require access to a fax machine, a computer, their own copy of 3D Fax, and (assuming no internal fax-modem) a low-cost optical scanner to import the image inside the computer.
The program comes with both ``send'' and ``read'' modules. The software also has specialized error-detection and correction capabilities, which come in handy if faxes are blurred or otherwise distorted.
This program isn't yet available at your local info-age mart. But you can call the company at 1-800-966-1140 to order one of two versions: the ``standard'' package for $49.95, or the ``professional'' version - faster, with password protection - for $199.
A try-before-you-buy edition, with a limited send module, will set you back $6.95 for shipping and handling. And if you regularly visit the worldwide computer network known as the Internet, surf over to http://www.infoimaging.com to obtain a ``freeware'' version.
Then you can fax 30-page letters directly to your friends here at Tech Track and not worry about wasting paper. MEMO: ``Tech Track'' will appear every Monday in the Daily Break. Readers
with ideas for future columns are invited to contact staff science and
technology writer James Schultz at (804) 446-2599, or via e-mail at
schultz@infi.net
by CNB