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Digital Cube's i-station UDIC gets hands-on treatment
One thing's for sure about Digital Cube's i-station UDIC: it's not your mother's electronic dictionary. Boasting a full (albeit tiny) QWERTY keyboard and a unique swivel screen, the HDD-packin' device could easily be mistook for a miniature UMPC (a convertible one, at that). Just in case you've forgotten, it also features a 4.3-inch display, text-to-speech support and an Alchemy AU 1250 CPU. Pricing has been set for ???398,000 ($396) / ???448,000 ($446) in the Korean market for the 30GB / 60GB editions, and you can check out a video of some spicy hands-on action in the read link below.[Via SlashGear]
Free iPhone Keyboard Dictionaries
If you regularly type on your iPhone with a non-supported language such as Danish, Dutch, Finnish or Portuguese, you'll be pleased to learn about iPhoneDict, a repository of free keyboard dictionaries. The solution is a bit of a hack. After downloading, you have to add the dictionary into the English (UK) slot. This may be a problem if you're actually a British iPhone user. Once downloaded, you activate the keyboard and its dictionary from Settings > International > Keybaords. You can learn more and find step-by-step instructions on the iPhoneDict website.
??bersetzen Sie das, bitte (Translate this, please)
For German users and English-speaking users with German-language needs, Philipp Brauner has made available the dict.cc Dictionary Plugin for Leopard, which adds the dict.cc vocabulary compilation to the OS X Dictionary. dict.cc is a community generated and verified English-German dictionary. The large download size (125M) speaks to the expansiveness of this compendium. The plugin not only enhances Dictionary.app, but other services that tie into the OS X Dictionary, including Spotlight and the Dictionary widget. It comes with a handy installer which makes the plugin easy to install for all users. The plugin borrows from a previous project by Wolfgang Reszel which integrated the BeoLingus vocabulary in the same manner. The dict.cc plugin is open source and the dictionary data is licensed separately, but available for use. Whether you're an English speaker with a desire to dabble in Deutsch or German is your native tongue, it's worth the sizable download.
Inkel's MU-D e-dictionary longs to be a real tablet PC
Not like we expect anything earth-shattering to emerge from Inkel's South Korean laboratory or anything, but surely it could do better than this. The awkwardly named MU-D (it's for Multimedia Dictionary, supposedly) does manage to include a DMB TV tuner for keeping you busy when not defining your life, but the whole swivel screen approach just seems... forced. Nevertheless, you will find a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution panel, 4GB of internal storage, support for SDHC cards and an undisclosed price tag. Now, if only this thing could play Doom Portal.
Zami's Official WoW forum dictionary
Apparently this has been wandering around the forums for a while, but I haven't seen it before-- Zami the forum troll (and we mean that in a good way) has put together a dictionary of sorts for those browsing the forums. Not quite sure what people mean by QQ or "weaksauce"? Zami's got you covered. Well, he doesn't so much have you covered (we actually have a post for that), but at least he's entertaining."Watch out, the Lion King" was probably my favorite, but Taz'dingo was pretty informative too-- I never knew exactly what that meant. Zami's guide is definitely good for a laugh.[Thanks, Kevin!]
iriver's D5 electronic dictionary gets whitewashed
We know it's not natural to get all funny about an e-dictionary, but we can't help it -- iriver's little D5 gets us hot under the collar. You may remember seeing this multi-use, flip-open device in its original black, but luckily for us the company has decided to issue a new color that we can oggle. As before, the D5 features MPEG-4 video and MP3 audio playback, a 480 x 272 TFT display, an FM radio, voice recorder, and USB connectivity. Also as before, you'll need to hit Korea if you hope to get your hands on one -- cause this puppy doesn't seem to be headed Stateside.[Via Akihabara News]
Maxian's E900T PMP / GPS navigator offers near-endless possibilities
At a glance, it's easy to mistake the Maxian E900T for other members of the Maxian family, such as the E900DIC or D900 Neo. Let's face it -- this company has some fundamental problems when it comes to differentiating between models. The latest entry into the lineup comes in the form of a wild, do-it-all PMP -- one which incorporates audio and video playback, a DMB receiver, GPS navigation, and an always-handy dictionary into one delicious package. The Windows CE-based system boasts an 800 x 480 4.3-inch touchscreen, a 30GB or 60GB hard drive, support for WMV, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DiVX / XviD, H.264, WMA, AAC, MP3, and OGG formats (amongst others), plus the aforementioned DMB compatibility. The E900T is capable of outputting 720p HD video, sports Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound, and includes Burr-Brown audio circuitry which it outputs via S/PDIF. When you slap this thing into its carmount, it also becomes a full featured GPS navigator, taking advantage of the GPS receiver in the cradle to provide turn-by-turn directions and other navigation functions you know and love, like locating Wendy's (in Korea, at least). No word on when, or if, this will be available in the States, but it couldn't hurt to write some letters of encouragement.[Via Navigadget]
Hannuri Biz's nurian X10 e-dictionary doubles as PMP
Hannuri Biz has a knack for sprucing plain ole e-dictionaries up with enough multimedia capabilities to still make them relevant, and it's proving yet again that these things still have a place in our world with the vividly colored nurian X10. Aside from sporting an external LCD surrounded by playback controls, this thing also handles all the translating one could stand, and just in case you get tired of mingling with all those words, it can also play back XviD and MP3 files. Additionally, you'll find an image / text viewer, voice recording capability, USB connectivity and a rechargeable battery good for up to 14-hours. Mum's the word on pricing at the moment, but feel free to check out a couple more looks in the read link.
iriver's D27 e-dictionary loose in Korea
We aren't exactly sure why a media-playing e-dictionary has us this jazzed up, but it probably has something to do with that absolutely delicious design. Whatever the case, it's available now in South Korea for ???278,000 ($301) -- got a cheap ticket to Seoul, anyone?
'w00t' is Merriam-Webster's word of the year
Merriam-Webster (you know, that dictionary company) announced its word of the year is "w00t." And that sound you now hear is millions of English teachers screaming out in terror. The leading US dictionary stated that the word is like saying "yay" and was selected after Merriam-Webster website users were invited to vote on 20 words frequently looked-up or submitted by readers. The runner-up word was "facebook" as a verb, which means to add or search for a person on a social networking site.The etymology of "w00t" is still a little messy. Some say it's a combination of wow and loot, others say it comes from hoot, but the zero replacing the letter o definitely comes from l33t speak. English sticklers can rest easy for now, but the day will come when companies pwn each other in the Wall Street Journal and someone makes a newb of themselves on the front page of the New York Times. w00t!
Jisho updated again, and discounted for TUAW readers
We've covered Jisho, the Japanese to English dictionary for OS X, a few times in the past, so I'm pretty sure that everyone who wants to translate Japanese to English and reads our site has probably seen it already. But just in case you've been waiting on a decision to buy it, wait no more-- not only has James, the creator, recently updated the app to version 2.2 (with Leopard compatibility, results sorting, and a greatly enhanced zooming function), but he's also putting it on sale for TUAW readers: between now and Sunday, December 9th, use the code "TUAWFTW" during checkout, and get the $15 app for 20% off.Newly updated software and a discount just for you readers? Kirei desu! Sore kudasai!**Note: The author of this post does not know Japanese and does not own Jisho. For all he knows, he just said that "You have a nice chicken."
24 Hours of Leopard: Dictionary
Feature: DictionaryHow it works: Find a word you don't know the meaning of, launch the app, find the meaning, and rejoice. But that's not all! The new and improved Dictionary in Leopard defines words, it is true, but it also shows you Wikipedia information about whatever term you searched for. Dictionary has also been integrated into Spotlight, so if you search of a word the Dictionary definition will pop up in the results. Dictionary will also translate Japanese terms into English, and contains an Apple specific dictionary chock full of Apple specific terms (I wonder if TUAW is in there).Who will use it: Linguists, Seekers of Truth, and people who can't spell (not that that ever happens to me).And so ends our 24 Hours of Leopard. We hope you've enjoyed this little warm up to the main event, and remember if you want to see all of the posts in this series just check out this page.
Breakfast Topic: Define this
Lavinia over on WoW Ladies found a pretty funny definition for "gold plz" that got me thinking. What if we "redefined" a few WoW phrases to make them a little more "accurate"?PUG: (noun) A group of people who probably aren't finishing an instance today.DEATH KNIGHT: (noun) What we'll call Ret Pallys after WotLK is released.THE BARRENS: (noun) A section of the world where those who can't play, chat.OVERPOWERED: (adjective) Anyone who beats me in PvP.Those are all right, but I bet you all could come up with even better ones. Choose a term from WoW and "redefine" it to better describe what our world is really like.
Jisho: Japanese to English translator for the Mac
I've watched as much anime as the next guy, but even I need a Japanese dictionary to figure out what those crazy robots are saying sometimes. Enter Jisho, a Japanese/English dictionary for Mac OS X 10.4 and higher. You can search in the Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana forms of Japanese, and also in English, German, Russian, and French, and it will translate not only the Japanese characters out for you (in a bright, clean interface), but the Romanization as well.And the latest version features a completely rewritten Romanization engine, as well as Kanji "zooming" and more OS X integration. If you ever need to regularly go from English to Japanese (or back again), Jisho's got what you need-- it's just $15 from Sugoisoft. And maybe you'll pick up enough to actually learn the language.
Maxian looks to educate with dictionary-equipped E900DIC PMP
Not willing to be left behind by all those other dictionary-packin' PMPs out there, Maxian has decided to launch a device of its own to both entertain and educate. The E900DIC boasts a stylish white enclosure, simplistic control scheme, and a "Saydic" dictionary that even touts text-to-speech capabilities. Details regarding the actual formats that this thing supports are scant, but we do know it features a DaVinci chipset and plays nice with H.264. Unsurprisingly, this one looks to be a Korean exclusive, but those parked near Seoul can reportedly snag one for between ???400,000 ($430) to ???500,000 ($538).[Via MobileWhack]
Atree's UM10 e-dictionary with trick sliding keyboard
It must be nice to live in a culture where it seems like having a dictionary on hand at all times is a must -- but sadly we in the US seem doomed to describe everything as either "awesome" or "sucks" while kids in Asia broaden their vocabularies with devices like Atree's UM10 e-dictionary / PMP. The unit, which sports a sliding flip keyboard much like the HTC Shift, also takes stylus input on its 3-inch screen and can play back media in a wide range of formats, including MP4, WMV9, MP3, WMA and Ogg. The unit also has FM and DMB tuners, a Microsoft Office reader app, and either 2 or 4GB of storage expandable via microSD. No word on price, but unless you're planning a trip to Korea sometime soon it doesn't really matter. Too bad -- it sucks that we can't get a device this awesome over here.
Apple patent attack: the multi-touch gesture dictionary
The unstoppable Apple patent machine has struck again. This time, the Cupertino-cash-cow has applied for a patent on a new multi-touch "dictionary" which would establish gestures, or "chords" in multi-touch systems. The dictionary would not only provide a guide and somewhat-programmable system of movements, but would also function as an application which runs either on its own or in the background during other applications, allowing gestures to be recognized. It would seem that based on other recent patent requests, Apple is keenly interested in not only defining a new system of input, but owning that system as well, which likely means that the future of the company is going to look a lot lighter in the "key" department -- and really, isn't that what Jobs is after to begin with?[Via PC Joint]
"DVR" added to Merriam-Webster dictionary
We've toiled and we've troubled, and finally our hard work has paid off: the term "DVR" has been accepted by Merriam-Webster in its Eleventh Edition Collegiate Dictionary. Strangely, DVR joins the dictionary at the same time as RPG (or rocket propelled grenade): we're guessing the staff at Merriam-Webster switched over from their TiVo for a bit of Gears action, reminding them that RPG needed to be in there too.
Sharp's KD-E1: the e-dictionary for your offspring
We've always wondered why companies kept cranking out e-dictionaries for the demographic too proud to actually bust one out in public and get their learning on, but Sharp is making amends by offering up a new model in the KIDSDIC series. The KD-E1 arrives in a colorful orange and white enclosure, and features an internal speaker, headphone jack, color display, several mini-games, stories, and songs to keep your kid intrigued in between vowels. Judging by the button layout, it looks like this is a Korean-only gizmo for the time being, but those in Seoul can try to convince their kids that this is cooler than a PSP for a stiff ???365,000 ($397).[Via AkihabaraNews]
Memup's 30GB Orizon PMP looks oh-so-sleek
Mmm, nothing like a sleek, glossy black PMP to get your juices flowin'. If you tend to agree with that sentiment, Memup's Orizon should suit your fancy quite well, as the 30GB unit comes in an ebony outfit, sports a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution display, and even includes an SD / MMC card slot to watch media clips stored on your flash memory. You'll also find a text viewer and built-in FM tuner to complement the obligatory MP3, WMA, MPEG4, JPEG, BMP, and GIF file support, but the ability to play nice with Motion JPEG and XviD are welcome extras. Unfortunately, you're going to have to love the looks some kind of fierce in order to find value in the purported $378 pricetag. [Warning: PDF read link][Via AnythingButiPod]UPDATE: Looks like this creature may actually be a straight up rip of another. Check out Coby's PMP4330 to see for yourself.
