By Andrew Liszewski

It’s hard to justify buying a standalone electronic translator if you already carry a smartphone with a decent app store behind it, but Franklin wants you to still consider their latest pocket translator which uses actual recorded voices for its library of phrases and translations, instead of cold, synthesized electronic ones. It’s capable of translating phrases to and from 16 different languages including Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, and Vietnamese. And considering it’s got over 800 travel related phrases (like accommodations, emergencies, food, directions) per language, getting the same functionality from a single app would be a hefty download.

At $99.99 though, it will be hard to convince anyone but lonely world travelers that it’s worth carrying instead of settling for a cheaper, though synthesized, alternative on their phone.

[ Franklin 16-Language Global Phrasebook ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By David Ponce

Nokia’s newest flagship phone, the N8, has a spectacular spec sheet. The most impressive of these is the camera, with 12 glorious megapixels to capture your shots. These shots are focused through a Carl Zeiss lens and mechanical shutter; they are illuminated with a Xenon flash and displayed on a 3.5 inch AMOLED screen. Should you want to output any of the stills you capture, or even any of the 720p videos you record, the phone offers an HDMI ouput. There’s more to this phone, but this isn’t a review. Bottom line is this is Nokia’s best.

And now you can get it for $449 after a $100 coupon. Just follow the links.

[ $100 Off On The Nokia N8 ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If your kid’s already got their ABC’s down pat by age 2, maybe it’s time to up the educational ante with some wooden building blocks featuring the periodic table. This set, exclusive to ThinkGeek, comes with 20 multi-sided blocks featuring all of the elements on the periodic table printed in bright colors. Now unless they’re some kind of pint-sized super villain in the making, knowing all the elements before they even hit grade school is essentially useless to them. But let’s face it, the only reason any parent would spend $39.99 on this set would be to show off to other parents that their kid knows exactly what elements make up that jelly bean they just shoved up their nose.

[ Periodic Table Building Blocks ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Well here’s a nice alternative to hiding your crap in Rubbermaid containers stashed away in a closet or crawlspace. These Boox Store boxes are made from high-quality cardboard and look like a set of books when sealed up and placed on their side. According to my research, books were a form of communication that existed before the iPad and Kindle that used words printed on sheets of paper to communicate knowledge or information, and I’m assuming by having these on your shelf or desk, you’ll not only look more organized, but intellectual as well. A set of 2 is available from Mocha for ~$14 (£8.99).

[ Boox Store Storage Boxes ] VIA [ Holycool.net ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Having used one for a while now, and after watching Apple execs frustratingly trying to get it to recognize commands during demos at their keynote a few days ago, I can attest that Apple’s Magic Mouse isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s sleek for sure, and when it works it’s quite nice, but there are enough quirks that make it kind of frustrating to use. (Like why aren’t the gestures exactly the same as they are with MacBook trackpads?)

So does the CUE from SPEEDLINK work any better in the PC world? Maybe, maybe not, but it seems to match the Magic Mouse when it comes to features thanks to its touch-sensitive top surface which recognizes multi-finger gestures making it easier to scroll and navigate your software. And instead of Bluetooth which isn’t standard across all PCs, the CUE comes with a wireless 2.4GHz nano receiver that provides a range of about 26 feet. At the moment it’s still listed as ‘Coming soon’ on the SPEEDLINK website, but it should be available sometime in November for about $56 (€39.99) in black, red, white and silver.

[ SPEEDLINK CUE Multitouch Mouse ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

They’re menacing. They’re falling apart, and they’re hungry. They’re the living dead, and Fortune City is crawling with them. In Capcom’s newest release in the zombie eradicating series, Dead Rising 2, players follow Chuck Greene, who tries to prove his innocence before the military arrives to free survivors from a safe house after a zombie outbreak. Here’s our review of this blood-filled sequel.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Chris Scott Barr

Time really does fly sometimes, doesn’t it? I can’t even remember the last time we gave something away. Don’t worry, we’re going to fix that right now. So what’s on the block to give away today? It’s a little something for my fellow gamers out there. Especially the ones whose living rooms get consumed by their games and peripherals. That’s right, we’re giving away a LevelUP Gaming Tower.

These handy storage towers will hold your console, several games, controllers and even Rock Band/Guitar Hero guitars. There are three console versions (PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii), so one lucky winner will get their choice from the three.

So what do you have to do to win? It’s only slightly more complicated than the usual comment bit. We want you guys to give LevelUp some Facebook love, since they’re still trying to make a name for themselves. So if you live in the US, just “Like” the LevelUp Gear page, then come back here and drop a comment letting us know which one you’d like to win. Then, next Friday we’ll pick a winner at random (and check to see if you’re on the “Like” list for LevelUp.) Good luck!

[ LevelUp ] [ Facebook Page ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Last month Peek launched their latest piece of hardware, dubbed the Peek 9. The device had more functionality, and higher speeds than the older ones. This was great for those looking to have a smartphone without the phone. Unfortunately for owners of older Peek hardware, it seems the 9 uses a different carrier entirely (which may be why it is faster). As for the old carrier? Well they shut down.

Owners of the older hardware were no doubt upset to find this out. Thankfully, the people at Peek know how to take care of their customers. How you ask? They’re offering a free upgrade to the latest hardware for everyone that owns a Classic or Pronto device. If you have one of these and haven’t gotten an email from Peek, just shoot a message to care@getpeek.com and they’ll take care of you.

[ Peek ] VIA [ Technabob ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’ve never had reason to complain, but apparently there is a subset of consumers who feel that energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs don’t get bright enough, fast enough, for their needs. And that has prompted GE to create this new hybrid bulb which features a small halogen capsule surrounded by a CFL tube. When first turned on the halogen bulb illuminates along with the CFL to provide “noticeably brighter” illumination in less than half a second, but automatically shuts off when the CFL reaches its full brightness for maximum energy efficiency. The new hybrid bulbs will be available in Canada and the US starting next year with 15 and 20-watt versions designed to replace 60 and 75-watt incandescent bulbs, and pricing to be announced at a later date.

[ PR - GE Unveils Unique Hybrid Halogen-CFL Light Bulb Coming in 2011 ] VIA [ Inhabitat ]