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ECTACO iTRAVL NTL-9C Talking 2-way multilingual language communicator and electronic dictionary
Animal Design Wire and Cable Keepers
1. ECTACO iTRAVL NTL-9C Talking 2-way multilingual language communicator and electronic dictionary, $600
Start the new year brushing up on a new language for that trip you’re planning to take. Or just pick up one of these little translating devices that got the nod in the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show as an innovations honoree in the personal electronics category. With speech recognition for nine languages, this is a gadget that can understand what you’re saying — or trying to say — and reproduce it in whichever language you choose. You speak into it and out come your words, only they make sense to the person you’re trying to talk to. It translates for English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Perhaps they can come up with a version that translates parent-speak for kids and vice versa. For more information visit: www.ectaco.com/ECTACO-NTL-9C. Also Available online at www.travelingtales.com.
2. Philips AJL308 Photo Clock Radio, $100
A seven-inch colour display with a USB/SD card slot lets you wake up to your favourite photo, song or video. With an easy-to-view clock, radio and calendar, it wakens you with a gradually escalating alarm. If you’re waking up to music, the volume will step up gently to lure you out of lala land. Another CES winner.
3. iMep Mobile Entertainment Player, $400
A mobile entertainment all-in-one, the iMep has a seven-inch LCD screen and an iPod dock so as well as listening to your music you can see the videos and photos displayed on the screen. Add to that a CD/DVD player and a TV tuner. If you’re still bored, drop a memory card in the available slot, plug in a USB flash drive, or crank up the AM/FM radio. It has two built-in 10-watt three-inch speakers. Light absorbing technology cuts the glare when you’re on the beach. It’s powered by a whopping eight D-cell batteries, although you can also plug in with an AC adapter or a DC car charger.
4. Animal Design Wire and Cable Keepers, 55 cents
Turn that octopus under your desk into a dog, a cat, a chicken or one of the other whimsical wiring solutions from cableorganizer.com. Attach one of these creatures to your computer monitor or another flat surface and it will faithfully hold those cables and wires.
