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Adding RAM is easy, 
Gizmo
Lingo Pacifica Talk Translator
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I
can’t believe it, but the Star Trek universal translator has been
invented. Ok, so the Lingo Pacifica Talk gadget won’t translate
English to Klingon, but it does translate 10 languages, including Spanish,
French and German and three Asian languages. Plus when you’re headed
to Moscow, it’ll do Russian too.
The 5.5 oz device is like a flip-open calculator with an LCD screen and
keyboard. It will not only translate words but it will also speak the
translation through a little tinny speaker or included earbuds. Now
this isn’t particularly clear. Think of the mechanical-sounding
computer voice from 1980s movies – that film War Games comes
to mind – and you’ll get what I mean. Since the voice is
hard to understand when it speaks English I’m not sure what the
result is when it speaks Japanese to a Tokyo native, but I suppose
anything is better than wildly gesturing and pointing at the vat of
squid. And yes, “squid” is in its memory. For future reference,
it’s “ika” in Japanese. In fact, the gadget can translate
over 200,000 words and 23,000 phrases.
The device’s screen is low resolution and monochromatic, yet backlit. The navigational menus and functionality look like they were designed by a group of caffeinated monkeys, but it gets the job done if you dig into the horrible manual and patiently work with the zillion keys. It also has features that speak phrases and translate currency and show times across the globe. It even spells out the words in all languages which strikes me as very useful if you were lost in rural Korea and haven’t a clue whether a sign in a shop window says “Pet Shop” or “Snack Bar”.
If you were willing to put some time into learning the intricacies of how the gadget works, this device will definitely come in handy. Repeat after me: Ika, ika! Yes, squid. Three pounds, please. Hai, san pondo, douzo.
Price: $199.95 U.S.
More info: www.lingotravel.com
Buy it: Sharper
Image
-Andy Walker, Cyberwalker Media Syndicate
Search for more gadgets at: The
Sharper Image
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Copyright © Cyberwalker Media Inc. 2002