All things considered, however, the ScanJet 6200C is a reasonable choice for the low-volume corporate user who needs an easy-to-use scanner primarily for text documents.

CNN: Reviewing the top 10 scanners

An optical-character-recognition machine for the blind that's capable of reading most types of printed text aloud, the CCD flatbed scanner, speech-recognition software, the first synthesizer that created sounds virtually indistinguishable from those produced by their acoustic counterparts, and a whole bunch of other nifty things we can barely comprehend came from Ray's brain.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Dr Sheridon has come up with a so-called wand an electronic stick that can hold ten full-size books and also transfer text on to a sheet of Gyricon if a user runs the wand over the surface like a handheld scanner.

ECONOMIST: Showing off