Hasta La Gadget!

Google has just just added a little bit of Star Trek to Android. An update to the Google Translate app adds “Conversation Mode”, which acts a lot like the universal translator from the TV show.

In Conversation Mode you speak into your phone, Google translates your words into the language of your choice, and then the phone reads out the results in a pleasant robot voice. Here’s a demo of a prototype version recorded a few months ago:

It’s not perfect, but it’s impressive nonetheless. The app will translate from 15 languages, and output the results in any of 53 languages. And there’s good news for owners of older phones: Google Translate works on Android 2.1 and better.

It probably won’t replace a little bit of study before you go on vacation, but as most native English-speakers seems morally opposed to learning another language, it certainly won’t hurt.

A new look for Google Translate for Android [Google Blog]

See Also:

• Google's Real-Time Voice Translator Could Make Any Language Lingua …
• Site Hopes Automatic Arabic-English Translation Translates into …
• babel fish

It may still be years away from any sort of practical use, but a team of researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed some so-called “liquid pistons” that they say could shake up everything from cameras to medical devices. Those pistons consist of some droplets of “nanoparticle-infused ferrofluids,” which are able to oscillate and precisely displace a surrounding liquid. In the case of a camera, that could be used for a liquid lens of sorts (as seen at right), and the researchers say the same technology may one day even be used for implantable eye lenses. The possibilites don’t end with optical uses, though — the researchers say that the precise ability to pump small volumes of liquid could also be used for implantable drug-delivery systems that would be able to deliver tiny doses at regular intervals. Of course, there’s no indication as to when any of that might happen — in the meantime, you can occupy yourself with the brief but oddly hypnotic video after the break.

Continue reading Researchers develop ‘liquid pistons’ for cameras, medical use

Researchers develop ‘liquid pistons’ for cameras, medical use originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So, here’s the situation: you roll into a LAN party in a less-than-ideal section of town. The lights are dim, the bouncer looks suspect, and Mike Tyson’s tiger is situated there in the rear of the room. Even the Ethernet cables are grimy. Everyone’s got their eyes on you and your new Alienware, and that stash of Razer peripherals just feels ripe for the taking. You aren’t about to make a beeline back to your Daewoo, so you wrap each and every USB cable around your right arm just to make sure you go home with everything you came with. Sadly enough, that’s not exactly an awesome way to trample your nearby enemies, but it seems that NZXT has a delightful solution. The company’s new Bunker USB Locking Drive is designed to fit within a spare 5.25-inch slot in whatever tower you own, offering a foursome of USB 2.0 sockets and a potent, daunting locking mechanism. The idea here is that your webcam, mouse, keyboard and USB headset can be plugged in, and you can keep your mind at ease that nothing is going anywhere when you waltz over to the restroom. Unfortunately, critics over at Overclocks Online noticed that the shallow depth prevented all but the smallest of flash drives from fitting in, further proving that this thing is designed specifically for use with PC peripherals. Hit the links below to learn more, and get ready to shell out $24.99 come March if it’s something you’re into.

Continue reading NZXT Bunker keeps your USB peripherals secure, even at dodgy LAN parties

NZXT Bunker keeps your USB peripherals secure, even at dodgy LAN parties originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nixon’s Trooper headphones are worth a look for many reasons, but the one that really stands out is the giant volume-knob. It’s not clear from any of the product shots, but around one of the ear-pieces is a ring that twists and adjusts the volume, just like the one on your dad’s big old stereo back home.

Apart from this big knob, the award-winning design also has some nice portability features. The earpieces hinge in two directions, adding a twist to the usual up-down adjustment. This, combined with a folding band, lets you collapse the cans down for stowing in a back. They also have a jack-socket instead of a hardwired cord so you can avoid braking the cable when in a bag, or replace it when it breaks.

They’re also cheap, if you look in the right place. The Trooper Three Button (with inline mic and redundant volume buttons) are listed at $70 on the Nixon site, but opt for the mic-less version and you can find them for as little as $15 on Amazon.

Finally, they look cool, and as your wear headphones like you’d wear clothes, that’s important. In fact, the only thing stopping me from buying a pair is the stack of headphones I already have. Like bags, it seems you can never have enough.

Trooper Headphones [Nixon via Core77]

See Also:

• R2-D2 Headphones: Most Appropriate Merchandising, Ever
• Elecom's Clever 'Wireless' Headphones for iPod Shuffle
• Marshall Headphones (Probably) Go to 11

This article was written on August 12, 2008 by CyberNet.

Last year we provided a thorough guide on how you can recover lost bookmarks in Firefox, but as an anonymous reader pointed out some of the tips provided no longer work in Firefox 3. This is because Mozilla revamped the bookmarking system so that it performs better, and is also capable of more advanced functionality such as tagging. The good news is that recovering lost bookmarks in Firefox 3 is even easier than it was before!

What you need to do now is go to Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks -> Import and Backup -> Restore, and then select the date of one of the backups (the date is in year-month-day format). You’ll then receive a prompt asking if you’re sure you want to replace all of your existing bookmarks with those from the backup, and once you hit the OK button you’ll be all set.

Any site you’ve bookmarked since the last backup will be lost since this does replace your current bookmarks. For that reason you may want to consider performing a manual backup before proceeding with restoring your old bookmarks. This can be done using the Backup option located right above the Restore option. You’ll then be asked where you want to save the file, and restoring them is as simple as going to Restore -> Choose File.

Feel free to adjust the number of automatic bookmark backups kept by Firefox 3, which is still the same from our previous guide.

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