“Standard features” is a good word combination, especially when the standard features being discussed belong to the Brother Intellifax 2910 printer, fax machine, and copier combination. Two such standard features are its ability to make crisp, clear documents at a speed that is very fast. Usually machines this good would cost quite a bit more, but this is a very smart buy. Even better, the purchase comes with the Brother Intellifax 2910 toner cartridge, which is quality toner that helps to make such great documents.

This machine will produce copies at the rate of 15 pages per minute whether printing out faxes or simply making copies. It also has the capability to reduce and enlarge them before printing, with a range of 50% reduction to 200% enlargement. This allows custom copies to be made on the spot rather than having to transfer them to another machine to accomplish this.

Also built in is the answering machine interface. What this will do is switch the machine over to prepare for an incoming fax. It does this using the Distinctive Ring Pattern Detection (DRPD), which is a distinctive tone that the phone uses to signal to the machine that a fax is about to come in. Because of this feature, the individual receiving the fax does not have to do anything to receive it.

The Brother Intellifax 2910 toner that accompanies this machine helps to ensure that the copies and faxes are all consistent along with being very sharp and clear. This machine will also accept other manufacturer’s compatible cartridges but for best results, the OEM cartridge should be used. Along with standard paper sizes this unit may also be used to print out envelopes or transparencies.

The document feeder capacity is a generous 30 sheets to save time in having to hand load the bigger jobs. With the bypass tray in place, the machine can have at the ready up to 250 sheets of standard sized paper. This means no reloading in the middle of receiving a big transmission, which as anyone will say is one of the biggest drawbacks to some fax machines.

This unit comes with an automatic redial feature along with fax forwarding. There is a built in feature that confirms each transmission along with producing a report to reflect the day’s activity. This can be a great tool for tracking usage and in knowing when it will be time to order more toner or to reload the paper tray.

The longevity of each toner cartridge is approximately 1500 printed pieces of paper. If this does not seem like it is enough, when the time comes for replacement, a higher capacity container can be purchased instead that will bring the number up to 12,000. Whichever toner replacement an individual buys, the individual will be assured that the toner would produce quality documents.

This combination of printer, copier and fax machine is great for a small business or home office, especially one that faxes often. The Brother IntelliFax 2910 toner cartridges that comes with the machine is a replacement toner that will produce quality documents, so that unreadable faxes will be a monster of the past. Brother Printer Toner Cartridges is known to be a quality toner.

Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy claims it has developed a device that can translate what a dog “says” into human language and emoticons in real time. And the so-called “Bowlingual” [JP] isn’t being marketed as a (pure) gag product.

Jointly developed with an acoustics research laboratory and a veterinarian, the Bowlingual works wirelessly (your dog must wear a wireless mic around the neck). Let the device catch noises made by your dog (transmission range: 10m) and it will analyze the “animal language” with a special algorithm before telling you on the LCD screen what was being “said”.

The Bowlingual displays text (in Japanese) and a range of graphics to show what your dog feels, in real-time (there is also speech output). There are around 200 text blocks and icons that illustrate a total of six moods: frustration, joy, sadness etc.

Data can be saved for later analysis. And Takara Tomy even threw in a answering machine function that makes it possible to monitor your dog’s feelings when you’re away.

The Bowlingual will hit Japanese stores on August 23 with a $220 price tag. It’s Japan-only for the time being.

Here is the official promo video:

And now for the five winners of modern Black & Decker DustBusters. I picked them all based on effort and implied need and so we have some of the best vacuuming stories ever to come out of the readership of a consumer electronics blog.

Special thanks to Black&Decker for the opportunity and happy birthday DustBuster!

DotComGuy – Wins because he totally tried so hard.

Oh the memories… The year was 1982. Unemployment was in the double digits, stagflation was going out of style and the dial on our TV had broken off so we used needle nose pliers to change the channel. Changing the channel without a dial is a lost art. With no numbers to reference, one had to count (without a slide-rule no less) the number of clicks or get stuck watching commercials until the next station ID. One day I lost count, perhaps because our new dual tape answering machine (what will they think of next) had answered a call, or maybe my fear of the war in the Falklands spreading to some place that mattered overwhelmed me… Whatever the case, I lost count of the clicks and found myself watching commercials so I could figure out what channel I was on.

And then it happened, I saw the solution to all my problems. The commercial featured a boy with the unfortunate name of “little mess” (because mishaps followed him everywhere). Name aside this kid had it all. He got to eat snacks on the couch while watching TV, he had a big sheepdog that followed him everywhere, played in sand that he tracked up the stairs with shag carpet that covered unsightly antique hardwood floors, carried a hockey stick that he used to knock over ashtrays, and he ate cupcakes while practicing piano. On top of all this, his mom was always smiling!

What was this kid’s secret? His mom had a Black & Decker Dustbuster of course!

The wheels started turning in my young imaginative mind that was not polluted by MTV (we didn’t have cable). The DustBuster was all that was holding me back from experiencing the fullness of life! First I had to get my mom a DustBuster. Next, I would ask my neighbors if their sheepdog could follow me through our house. After a game of hockey, I would carelessly knock over an ashtray (and since my parents were squares and didn’t allow smoking in the house that would be a really cool trick!). I would then trail sand up the stairs and finally enjoy a chocolate cupcake while I played piano.

After months of begging, my dad finally got my mom a DustBuster for Christmas. But my mom didn’t smile when I made a mess, we never got a dog, no one smoked in the house, I never played hockey, or learned to play the piano.

But I did learn to eat snacks on the couch and clean up without anyone knowing… for a week. The battery wasn’t the problem. The commercial taught me how to put it back in the really cool wall charger, but I really wish it had mentioned that you had to empty it every now and then. It doesn’t vacuum very well when it’s full of “munchies.”

AnneMaddox – She wins because she made a video

DoctorJay – Because he won a DustBuster by getting people drunk

I got my first Dustbuster via an incentive program for waiters at a restaurant in Tysons Corner, VA.

The goal was to “upsell” as many drinks as you could. If someone asked for a Bloody Mary, you were expected to ask “Would you like that with Absolut Peppar?” If they said yes, you could hear the “ca-ching” of an extra buck fifty added to the bill. Pretty sleezy, but I ended up winning the Dust Buster.

I used it to vacuum my entire apartment numerous times. At about 250 square feet it wasn’t too difficult crawling around on my hands and knees sucking up ramen noodle powder.

Zach H – Because he wants to pick up his daughter

When the origional DustBuster first came out we tried to pick up everything we could with it. I managed to suck up some really nasty stuff…and when fully charged leave some nasty hickies on passed out party goers. The Buster met its doom though when we tried to suck up spilt beer from my friends parents Mercedes, alas a shop vac it was not! I’d love a chance to see if the new DustBuster can stand up to my 1 year old daughter and the mess she leaves in her wake!

DON – Gets one because he totally needs one

my story is short and certainly not fond.

when i moved here to puerto vallarta, mexico, about 2 years ago, i figured it waas time to retire my trusty dustbuster. i thought i would just buy a new model after 20+ years because there had probably been a number of improvements since then. so, i arrived here in PV and made my way to wal-mart, sam’s club, soriana, tio sam’s, etc. there were none to be had. i actually started yelling and carrying on in wal-mart’s parking lot! all because all i found was some sort of a second or fourth rate brand with a 10 foot cord. it died after 2 uses.

now, here i am sitting in possibly the dustiest city in north america with no dustbuster and so, no relief from the ‘polvo’.

since all i have are memories of effortless clean-ups, my tale is one of woe rather than one of fondness. i am too distraught to think fondly….wistfully, yes; fondly, no. sorry.

Thanks for playing, guys. Those were great stories.