By Andrew Liszewski

Making it even more useful to non-English speaking parts of the world that might be lacking internet access, Openmoko’s WikiReader now supports 14 additional language versions of Wikipedia including Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Norwegian, Greek, French, Finnish, Danish, Dutch, German, Spanish, Welsh, Russian and Hungarian, with updated versions of the virtual keyboard for searching articles. The language pack updates are available for download now from the Openmoko website, and since the WikiReader supports microSD cards up to 16GB in size, you can actually download and use multiple language versions of Wikipedia at once. Now all it needs is a cross-language translator and the device might find itself a new niche.

[ Openmoko WikiReader ]

By Chris Scott Barr

This past weekend I found myself at GenCon Indy where there was a lot of gaming and costuming going on. As it turned out, most of the cast members from the web series The Guild were there as well. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Sandeep Parikh, who plays Zaboo. Of course while he might be most recognizable from he work on The Guild, he’s also the creator of The Legend of Neil.

Both series have become sensational hits over the last couple of years, and he was kind enough to sit down for a short while and talk about his work on both. So check out the video, and be sure to check out both The Guild and The Legend of Neil if you haven’t already.

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By Andrew Liszewski

Those of you who spent too much time at the arcade growing up, and now spend too much time in bed every morning might appreciate this arcade cabinet-shaped alarm clock that will wake you up with a “barrage of retro gaming sounds.” I’m not sure what they are specifically, but who could ever sleep through a barrage?

The tiny joysticks and buttons also apparently work, and are used for setting the time and alarm. But looking at the simple (and I’m going to assume simulated in that product shot) LCD display I have to wonder if this thing could be a lot cooler. Like would it add that much to the cost to add a full-color LCD display with simulated retro-game graphics? And how about requiring the user to enter the Konami code in order to turn the alarm off in the morning?

At around $22 (£13.99) it’s not that expensive, but I’m willing to bet that gamers would pay a premium if someone went the extra mile with this idea.

[ Arcade Alarm Clock ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]

By Andrew Liszewski

LEGO’s never exactly been an outside toy. The risk of losing pieces off your creation is too high, and besides, Tonka’s already got the monopoly out there. So while you probably won’t be taking this remote control LEGO excavator out to the garden any time soon, I can’t think of a better way to dig through a giant container of LEGO pieces. It’s powered by 4 motors and 4 linear actuators allowing you to drive (with fully working treads of course) spin the cabin and use the arm and bucket for scooping. The dual infrared remote controls all the action, and this bad boy will set you back $199.99.

[ LEGO RC Motorized Excavator ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Those of you who’ve made the upgrade to a touch screen smartphone but pine for a physical keyboard can now enjoy the best of both worlds without your pockets bursting at the seams. Somewhere someone is diligently working to make Bluetooth keyboards as small as they can possibly be, and the latest fruits of their labors is this credit card sized model from EFO.

Now it looks like someone has actually just pryed the keypad off of a Blackberry, but it’s a fully working QWERTY keyboard complete with F1-F12 function keys, CTRL, ALT, DEL, multimedia playback buttons and it’s been tested with both the iPad and iPhone. I’m not sure what kind of battery it’s sporting or how long it works before needing a refresh, but for a limited time you can order one for just $32 before it goes back to its regular non-introductory price of $40 in September.

[ EFO Mini Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard ] VIA [ The Gadgeteer ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Yesterday Samsung announced their BD-C8000 which is technically the world’s first portable Blu-ray player. It comes with a hefty 10.3-inch LCD display that’s actually 1080P capable, as well as built-in wi-fi which provides access to the small library of Samsung Apps, HDMI out and a 3-hour battery. However, don’t get too excited about enjoying 3D content on your next flight, since it only provides a 3D experience when connected to a 3DTV. By itself it’s just a regular old portable Blu-ray player. So given the fact that 3DTVs aren’t exactly everywhere yet, let alone a hotel room where you’d probably be most likely to use this, the $499.95 price tag, available now, is a bit steep.

[ ChipChick - Samsung Announces World’s First Portable 3D Blu-ray Player, the BD-C8000 ]

By Brian Liszewski

It won’t do much to prevent your luggage from going missing, but if your belongings do get lost while traveling, just think of the many ways this USB flash drive luggage tag could improve your chances of seeing your suitcase again. Obviously you can write your name and contact info on the outside label, but with 2GB of storage at your disposal you can include a pre-recorded video passionately pleading for the return of your lost luggage, detailed maps and directions to wherever you’re staying or maybe even a couple of albums that the finder can keep as a reward if they decide to help you. But just like it’s not recommend to lock your suitcase, the TSA might disapprove of encrypting any of the files on the drive. $29.95 from the Neatoshop, available in the assortment of colors pictured above.

[ Luggage Tag Flash Drive ] VIA [ ChipChick ]

By Meg Lynch

Some people travel to exotic, secluded locales to get away from all the distractions of every day life. But others seem content to pull into a crowded campground in an RV that’s better appointed than the home they left behind. I’m going to assume one of the amenities that latter group couldn’t live without while on vacation is satellite TV, so the VuQube seems like the easiest way to stay on top of all your favorite shows no matter where you may roam.

The most expensive version, the VQ3000, is fully automatic so all you need to do is position it so it has a clear view of the southern sky. Built-in motion tracking allows you to stay tuned even while on the road, and as long as you have power, you can quite literally use this thing anywhere you can carry it. It’s compatible with Dish Network, DirecTV and BellTV, and in addition to your satellite bill you’ll have to cough up $1,699 for the VuQube hardware. Definitely expensive, but that’s the price you’ll have to pay if you want to join in the Mad Men conversation around the water cooler campfire.

[ VuQube VQ3000 Portable Satellite Dish ] VIA [ The Gadgeteer ]

By Chris Scott Barr

You don’t tend to see a lot of new developments in the world of writing utensils. Sure, there are some which can actually record the things being written, but the basics of the pen or pencil are still the same. Well Sharpie has developed a new pencil/pen hybrid that they say will “redefine the way you write.”

The new Liquid Pencil uses liquid graphite in an ordinary roller-ball pen. The liquid graphite is completely erasable just like a pencil, but there’s a twist. After around three days, the markings will become permanent. This is a step away from the old erasable pens which were never really permanent (yet didn’t always erase very well either).

I think these will be interesting to use, especially for artists. I love the feel of a roller-ball pen, but prefer to work in pencil so that changes can be easily made. However, once the piece is finished, it’s nice to know that the markings aren’t going anywhere. Look for these in stores next month.

[ Sharpie ] VIA [ Wired ]