After seeing the latest Star Trek film (and loving it, I might add) I thought I’d post about a few Star Trek inspired items. First is the iTRAVL handheld language translator. It’s like your own personal pocket-sized Uhura (though admittedly not quite as sexy as Zoe Saldana (not by a long shot).

Learning languages is difficult. And it’s not just the memorization or recall that makes it so. Language is so entangled within culture that often it is difficult to distinguish the two. This was my experience in Japan and SE Asia. It would have been nice to have had a portable translation device for the various languages I encountered making it easier to say what I really wanted to say instead of stumbling through the few phrases I manages to memorize without really understanding their meaning. Attempting to understand another’s language and speak it in turn, even if it is just a few phrases here and there, can help you go far in building relationships or just make it easier for you to get around.
The iTRAVL includes voice recognition for instant translation of words and phrases as well as a personal language tutor.
With over 30 languages to choose from you can customize an SD card with the language combination of your choice.
And that is just the start of all the bells and whistles this item’s designers thought to include to make the traveler’s life just a little bit easier.

Specifications:
• Extensive bilingual translating dictionary with voice synthesis
• Audio Travel PhraseBook recognizes and speaks 14,000 travel-related phrases
• iHELP pronounces Emergency or frequently used phrases instantly
• CIA World Factbook for 180 countries around the world: Maps, Flags, Country Profiles, People, Geography, History,
Economy, Essential Statistics, International Organizations and Groups and more
• Consistent Full-text Machine Translation
• 70,000 WordNet English explanatory dictionary
• Windows CE powered for advanced functionality and responsiveness
• Hi-resolution touch-screen and hands-free speech navigation functionality
• Mp3 player, games, calculator, metric converter, and word time clock utilities
Check out the website here: iTRAVL Translation device
With the base model starting at $319.95 you’ll be spending about the same amount trying to learn as much of the language as you can in advance of your trip using The Rosetta Stone software, and you can’t take that with you in your backpack everywhere you go! So I’d say the price is just about right. However, each language you want will add another $59.95 to your total so watch out!

The swine flu or medically known as H1N1 Flu. Preventing swine flu is much like any other flu according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control).

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?

• First and most important: wash your hands.
• Try to stay in good general health.
• Get plenty of sleep
• Exercise and be active
• Manage your stress
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Eat nutritious food.
• Try not to touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

You can read more on prevention of the swine flu and treatment at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/swineflu_you.htm

You can also wear a face mask to prevent the swine flu.

Swine Flu Face Mask (Box of 50)

Product Description

• EXTRA-SOFT EAR LOOPS ELIMINATE PRESSURE TO THE EARS.
• SENSITIVE, INNER LAYER MADE OF SOFT FACIAL TISSUE, NO DYE, NO CHEMICAL
• GENTLE TO THE SKIN. HIGH FILTRATION, BFE 99.5, PFE 99.7% AT 0.1 MICRON.
• FLUID RESISTANT
• LATEX FREE
• FIBER-GLASS FREE
• ODORLESS.

Disposable Swine-Flu Face Mask, – (Box of 50)

The mask comes in a box of 50 and only $16.99 which is well worth the price. It helps you from catching the swine flu and prevents it from spreading around.

As any of my family or friends would tell you, I am the worst and driving directions. My brother got me a Garmin Nuvi 250 for my birthday last year and it saved me quite a lot of headaches (and gas from getting lost).

Garmin now has the Nüvi 760 Portable GPS Automobile Navigator.

Garmin nüvi 760 4.3-Inch

It is quite an upgrade from my existing one. First, I like the form much better. Before the Garmin, I bought a Tom Tom GPS which gave me wrong directions half the time! I tested it driving in Center City Philadelphia and it told me to go straight directly through City Hall! Plus, the body of the Tom Tom wasn’t very friendly when it comes to portability.

Garmin

Garmin’s GPS tend to be flat and thin so they can fit in your pocket for walking around. There was a quirky bug in my old Garmin 250 which was the way you choose a target destination. If you change the city, you have to change the Country you are in first. It was odd.

What’s New
The 700-series has spoken directions in real street names, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, directly through your vehicle’s stereo system.

Garmin

The nüvi 760 and 770 can also utililze Bluetooh features for hands free calling.The 770 model adds maps for Europe.

The price of these GPS has also gone down tremendously. I remember when they first came out, it was a wallet breaking $1000. It is now only $209.99. Ah, don’t you love price depcreciation? It will save you in the long run too from lost time and gas.

Garmin nüvi 760 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Automobile Navigator

We’za gonna DIE!  No, I’m not channeling Jar-Jar Binks – I refer to the horrors of swine flu, delivered to us courtesy of Mexico and legions of drunk college spring breakers who just couldn’t stay the frak out of a country despite US State Department warnings about drug gang turf wars.  Well now the rest of us are going to pay for their partying.  To track the status of the pandemic-wanna-be, Google user Niman has mashed Google Maps with the CDC’s confirmed case identifier to show us where the spots of doom are showing up.  Maybe those Japanese and their surgical masks aren’t so crazy looking now after all, eh?

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map

How safe is YOUR location?

via CenterNetworks

Meet the Skorpion Multi Terrain Skates. These skates introduce a new level of fun for the summer for your kids. You can wear them with your shoes and they offer steering and spring suspension. These can be used in the parks, streets, uneven surface, nature trails, boardwalks, grass, and cobblestones.

Skorpian Multi-Terrain Skates

Skorpion Multi Terrain Skates 2009

Via Gadget Grid

Let’s face it. Not many of us like packing for trips. So how do we expect kids to do so? Meet the Trunki by TrendyKid. It makes packing fun.

TrendyKid Trunki

The Trunki is a suitcase that is fun for children. The luggage resembles a cute animal. There are other varieties. It is perfect for both boys and girls. It has four wheels attached to it and they can even sit on the suitcase and ride it. No more boredom at the airport. It is also light enough for an adult to just carry on his shoulder.

TrendyKid Trunki

Hot Pot Portable Solar Cooker

One of the things I love about the warm season is spending time outdoors like hiking. With the Hot Pot Portable Solar Cooker you can achieve cooking temperatures for stew or baked goods within just an hour in the full sun. The oven can reach temperatures up to 350-400 degrees and comes with a 5.3 quart enameled steel pot utilizing the solar power of the Sun.

What’s also great is that when you purchase a Hot Pot, you also help subsidize the distribution of this device in developing countries to reduce deforestation and respiratory disease caused by traditional cooking methods.

Hot Pot Simple Solar Cooker with 5.3 quart Enameled Steel Pot

Product Features