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Mac OS X Leopard demo videos a'plenty
As excited as I am for the iPhone, I'm just as excited for Mac OS X Leopard - that's why I have to thank TUAW reader Uros for sending us a link to a big ol' batch of Leopard demo videos posted at Brightcove, a video sharing service. Demoed in the videos are features like Screen Sharing, Cover Flow, Parental Controls, new screensavers and even some interesting new stuff in Preview. Most of this stuff isn't too groundbreaking on the scale of, say, Spaces, but the devil is in the details for me and it's really interesting to see some of the handy new features that unfortunately couldn't make it into Steve's keynotes. For example: Leopard's new Dictionary app can also search Wikipedia, right from within Dictionary itself. If you're interested in seeing more of Leopard in action, these videos might satisfy your appetite - at least until Apple orders them to be taken down, of course.
DS Daily: Common usage
It'd be cool to live in Japan, we've always said. The food, the culture, the fact that by 2011, 89% of the Japanese will own a DS ... wait, what?That's insane. Ridiculous. Incomprehensible. We're quite sure that not even close to 89% of Americans have a web-connected computer (2003 U.S. census figures showed 55%), and it's almost assumed in today's society that you've got access to the internet at home.With such a ubiquitous, portable, and interactive device, it's amazing that the Japanese haven't truly capitalized on its potential. They've got English dictionaries and day planners and all that, but everyone's got one! Why not introduce eBooks, or DS-enabled fast food drive-thrus, or ...! Well, we're maybe not so good at this. What would you guys do with that ridiculous penetration rate?
Sharp Papyrus PW-TC920 defines words, tunes TV
While it's not like we expect e-dictionaries to hop on the fast track of upgrades or anything, it's been way too long since Sharp's flagship Papyrus received any attention, but the day has finally come for a successor to take over. The PW-TC920 picks right up with a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, handwriting recognition pad, SD flash card slot, internal handwriting translation ability, and is offered in both red and black color schemes. The real kicker, however, is the 1Seg TV tuner that allows you to kick back and enjoy a television show in between study sessions, and the headphone out jack ensures that the crowd around you won't become annoyed with your antics. Unfortunately, there's no word yet surrounding a future price or release date, but hey, school's out for the most of us anyway, right?[Via Electronista]
KTF's EV-W200 and EV-K200 sliders rock e-dictionaries
While Alcatel's latest slider is taking care of the European market, KTF is lookin' out for the Korean side by busting out a duo of new sliders for its homeland. The EV-W200 sports a two-megapixel camera, built-in MP3 player, video telephony capability, an e-dictionary, Bluetooth, and a photo viewer, while the EV-K200 steps it down to a 1.3-megapixel camera but maintains most everything else. Notably, the EV-W200 does indeed resemble Samsung's U600 just a hair too much for comfort, but considering that we Americans will probably never get the luxury of using these on US soil, we'll let them fight that one out elsewhere.[Via Slashphone]
TranslateIt! Foreign Language Dictionaries
File this one under, tons of potential but not there yet. TranslateIt! is an interesting foreign language dictionary application from what appears to be a Russian software company. The application comes in two versions, one shareware and the other free, but it is only the shareware version that does the cool trickery you see above. It can be set to "scan" the text under your cursor and pop up a floating window with a dictionary entry for that word (this is somewhat similar to the built-in OS X dictionary's shortcut: ??? + ??? + D, but TranslateIt! does not require any shortcut -- you merely need to hover over the text). Unfortunately, the free version lacks the "scanning" and only allows you to type terms into its search box (similar to Dictionary.app). Both versions are plagued by very bad decisions on user interface design, including gratuitous use of the cube and flip transformation effects.Of course the strength of any dictionary program lies in the quality of its dictionaries and it's here that TranslateIt! falls flat. It includes several simple dictionaries built in (e.g. English-French, English-Russian, etc.) and there are more available for download, but in playing with it I found the entries to be much too basic for serious use. There are links to open-source dictionaries, but no instructions as to how to use them.The other problem with TranslateIt! is the cost. While there is the freeware version, to get the cool scanning costs $24.95 per year or $64.95 for a lifetime subscription. For those kinds of prices, the dictionary content would have to be much better than it is. When I saw this I was very excited, because something like this could make reading sites in languages I sort of know, but not well, much more convenient. As it is, however, I can't really give it my full recommendation at this price. There is a demo available for download to check it out for yourself, and the freeware version is probably worth a look as a simple foreign language dictionary.[Via FreeMacWare]
HOWTO: Expurgate your Dictionary
OS X's built-in dictionary has naughty words. Who knew? The following gallery will walk you through the steps it takes to censor your dictionary and prevent innocent young 'uns from looking up the proper meanings of these words. You'll need the Property List Editor, which is available as part of Apple's free Developer Tools. %Gallery-2531%Update: Parental Controls are a built-in but optional feature of OS X Tiger. They will be an even bigger built-in but optional feature of OS X Leopard. Those readers who feel that the existence of these controls are disturbing in and of themselves may want to take their concerns directly to Apple, who has built and implemented them in their operating system. Otherwise, non-native English speakers please take note that the post was written in a light hearted tone.
Learn Japanese with homebrew DS app
Japanese gamers can learn English with their DS. There's even a Japanese-English dictionary for the system. Now it's time for us poor monoglot anglophones to expand our linguistic horizons. A coder known as Zoelen has just released an early version of Project JDS. The app teaches you to recognize and write both hiragana and katakana characters, even listen to their pronunciation. And if you're really nice, you can use the touch screen to draw characters and get berated for using the wrong stroke order!It isn't much to look at, but it gets the job done and is surprisingly feature-rich for a homemade app. Now if only it had a catchy name. Something like ... Touch Dic.[Via DrunkenCoders]
LG's CDMA LC-3200 slider touts electronic dictionary
While there's been no shortage of standalone electronic dictionaries of late, LG is looking to put the words you need right on your mobile with its LC-3200. Featuring a slider design, this sleek handset comes in at 3.89- x 1.91- x 0.67-inches and rocks a two-inch external LCD, CDMA connectivity, USB, IrDA, MP3 playback, an elusive "sports game," and of course, a presumably non-English dictionary. Additionally, you'll find a 1.3-megapixel camera where you can snap pics in all six nations (including China and Taiwan) where this thing will reportedly work. Per usual, there's no word on price just yet, but we're not counting on this one hitting the US anytime soon anyway.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Digital Cube gets an i-Station dictionary gig with the T43DIC PMP
You know, Casio ain't the only game in town when it comes to these e-dictionary units that seem to be so popular in Asia. The folks at Digital Cube might not be willing to do something so silly as attach a keyboard to one of their PMPs, but they've apparently done just about everything else to prep this i-Station T43DIC for the exciting life of an electronic dictionary. Of course, those 30GB and 40GB capacities are probably meant for storing a bit more than mere words, but i-Station puts a nice little educational spin on the usual mindless video fare: subtitles are linked to the dictionary, so you can translate the complicated "I'll shoot you in the face" and "you complete me" type of phraseology that those Hollywood intellectuals are always trying to throw around. Prices are set at 398,000 won ($425 US) for the 30 gigger and 448,000 won ($479 US) for the 40 gigger, but that's about all we know about this device, other than a few screenshots that show this pen-based device to have quite the full-fleshed, shiny OS. Though the similarities in looks to Digital Cube's BMP-1430 probably mean the two PMPs share more than a few specs under the hood.
Dictionaries galore: Seiko and Franklin's DB-J990, Canon's V300 and M300
Back when we were students, the only things our dictionaries could do were weigh down our backpacks and act as a home base during kickball. It's no secret that, like everything else, the Japanese have had better study aid options. Now not one, but three manufacturers announced new additions to their respective mega-dictionary handhelds: Seiko in conjunction with Franklin, and Canon. First up is Seiko's and Franklin's SII by Franklin DB-J990 which defies category conventions and opts for a slider design reminiscent of the Vaio UX rather than the usual clamshell. In addition to MP3 audio playback and support for common eBook formats, RSS, Word, and Powerpoint, it contains ten dictionaries, including The Princeton Review's "Cracking the TOEIC" test preparation, and boasts full PC connectivity, allowing users to access and manipulate all the information on their handheld from their computer (for instance, annotating words you're having difficulty with). Not to be outdone, Canon is offering a pair of dictionaries which also have MP3 playback: the Wordtank V300 ($471) and the Wordtank M300 ($386). Both devices have 38 reference guides in five subject areas, some with text-to-speech ensuring proper pronunciations. There is also a built-in voice recorder, so you can compare your articulation against the device's. The only differing factor between the two Wordtanks are in screen size and battery life: the V300 donning a 4.9-inch screen with 80 hours to the charge, versus the M300's 3.78-inch screen and 107 hours of life. Both Wordtanks should be available in Japan come February 2, and the DB-J990, which will retail for $295, will also be available in next month. For those not turned off by the usual not-for-the-U.S. disclaimer, you can peep pics of Canon's devices are after the break.[Via Akihabara News]Read - SII by Franklin DB-J990 Read - Canon Wordtank M300Read - Canon Wordtank V300
Casio electronic dictionary / translator talks back, recognizes handwriting
While we English speaking folk may prefer our pocket translators to start in English and convert to some other foreign tongue, Casio's latest rendition helps those fluent in Japanese order tickets to the Space Needle, haggle at the Chevrolet dealership, and of course, pick up the correct ingredients for warm apple pie. Aimed at middle / high school students, the XD-SW4800 lineup of handheld dictionaries reportedly house the denotation and correct pronunciation for over "85,000 languages," which ironically enough, probably translates to "85,000 words" when not read through a broken translator. Nevertheless, these handy gizmos come in a variety of colors, and aside from supporting keyboard input, it can recognize stylus-written characters and toss back definitions while pronouncing the word to you via headphones. If America isn't your final destination, it also comes with five other major languages on CD that can be loaded on the 50MB of internal space or on your SD card if necessary, and while these things won't last forever, the approximate 60 to 130 hours of battery life should be more than enough to get you acclimated. So while you're waiting for your passport to show up, make sure you pick up Casio's latest travel necessity -- if you can manage the admittedly steep ¥47,250 ($394) to ¥52,500 ($437) price points, that is.[Via Impress]
TUAW Tip: hold ctrl-cmd-d while mousing for live definitions
Many of you power users know that pressing ctrl-cmd-d in many Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger applications (except Firefox and a few others) will yield a handy pop-up definition window, drawing information from the standalone Dictionary app that sits in your Applications folder. However, if you didn't know that, well, you now have at least one reason to claim the 'power user' (nerd!) throne.I just found that if you hold down that keyboard combo, you can move the mouse over text to receive a live pop-up that keeps updating definitions as you mouse over new words. It seems to perform pretty well, though I am running on a fairly recent 1.83 Core Duo MacBook with 1GB RAM, so YMMV. I'm not entirely sure how handy this will be in daily activities, but I figured I'd post it since you creative readers so often surprise us with finding new uses for tips like this. Enjoy.
Sharp's new 4.3-inch DMB / PMP educatin' machine
Good old Sharp. They just can't be happy with themselves if they're not squeezing an electronic dictionary or other such educational tool into otherwise perfectly good portable media devices. Their latest efforts center around the new SP700, which sports a 4.3-inch touchscreen, T-DMB receiver and SD card slot, and supports various forms of audio and video playback. There are also options for a 30GB HDD and GPS navigation, but with all of this education breathing down our necks, we wouldn't want to get close enough to find out how well it all holds together. Price? Availability? You must be kidding!
Edit Mac OS X's custom spelling dictionary
Mac OS X's built-in spell checking abilities are fantastic, but what if you need to edit the custom list of words you've been building, or you want to nail a few birds with one stone by adding a collection of words in one fell swoop?Christopher Breen at Macworld has a good tip for just such a case. It turns out that once you begin adding custom words to your dictionary (by right-clicking them in most Cocoa apps and choosing 'Learn Spelling'), a folder aptly named Spelling appears in your Home user folder. In there is a file that I believe is named after your particular language; in my case - English.Opening this file in something like TextWrangler (or possibly OmniOutliner?) will allow you to edit the dictionary, including adding your own words a little more efficiently. Check out Macworld's tip for the details on how the rest of this works, including a basic method for (sort of) synchronizing your dictionary between Macs.
Franklin brings some e-dictionary action to USofA with MWD-480
We're always seeing these souped-up dictionary things getting spec bumped in Japan: a color screen here, MP3 playback there, maybe some PMP functionality and a death-ray feature thrown in for kicks. Well, now slacker students in our very own homeland can see what all the fuss is about, and graduate past their TI-89 for "educational" screw-around device of choice. Of course, Franklin means well. They've packed in the obvious features you think you'd find in a "Merriam-Webster Dictionary & MP3 Player," along with a few reference apps and enough games to take your mind off those studies. The MWD-480 can also take SD cards for extra content to keep you busy, and you can load tunes to the device via USB. You should be able to find the device at one of those pesky "back to school" locations for around $80 bucks.
Merriam Webster USB Dictionary and Thesaurus
Remember the good 'ol days when that hundred-pound slab of text was the only way to beef up your vocabulary? Merriam Webster, a well-defined name in the business, has stuffed over 300,000 definitions and 500,000 synonyms onto a 256MB USB drive (with a couple hundred megs to spare, we understand). Aside from having the entire dictionary and thesaurus at your disposal, it comes with a few other tools to help proof your masterpiece: phonetic spell correction, a grammar guide, confusable function alerts -- a feature that alerts the user if there's a potential mix-up in similar sounding words -- and even a crossword puzzle solver to show that newspaper who's boss. All things we could probably use around here at Engadget HQ, we know, we know. So if your word processor's checking functions have failed you once too many, or you simply find comfort in always having the right words to say, the $49 drive could prove quite meaningful. [Via Popgadget]
Top ten supplemental blogging apps
Chances are if I am sitting at my Mac I am blogging (perhaps not for TUAW, but for some blog somewhere) and so this list of the top ten supplemental blogging apps for OS X caught my eye.The apps that make the cut are: Quicksilver (a TUAW favorite) Firefox (though Flock gets a mention) Pukka NewsFire Transmit Image Trick TextMate Voice Candy Dictionary.app Adium and Skype A fairly good list, though it doesn't cover some of the apps I use whilst blogging. After the jump you'll find my list of blogging apps I can't blog without.
Sharp's new Papyrus Pocket Dictionary does a whole lot more
These vaguely defined "dictionary" devices never really caught on here in the States, but they're quite the thing in Japan, and it's not hard to figure out why with the specs on display in this Papyrus ASV Pocket Dictionary PW-N8100 from Sharp. The "ASV" stands for Advanced Super View, and refers to the 5.4-inch 480 x 272 color LCD. The device of course does the dictionary thing and can help with English, Chinese and Korean, but the real fun comes with the audio and video playback. There's also a "brain age" game, the Nintendo version of which seems to have moved quite a few DS units. The dictionary also comes in a PW-A8410 monochrome version, but where's the fun in that?[Via Akihabara]
WoW terminology explained
If the city's Trade and LookingForGroup channels go past you in a blur of indecipherable acronyms, this glossary might help. Part of Wikipedia -- and thus publicly editable if you disagree with a particular word, or want to add one -- it covers a lot of the WoW-specific terminology that crops up.It can be hard to simply ask "What on earth is UBRS" in chat, so it's useful to have somewhere to go when those inevitable moments of confusion do happen.
DS gets wordplay, Japanese-English dictionary
Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten was released for the DS in Japan today, bringing an affordable electronic Japanese-English dictionary to the masses. KSRJ's major selling point is its stylus functionality, allowing users to input kanji (stroke-sensitive) and kana onto the touch screen. Japan Chronicles compared Nintendo's new toy tool to Canon's pricey ($299–$470) Wordtank V80 Chinese-Japanese-English dictionary, which also allows kanji inputs via a stylus. Here's what the site liked about KSRJ: Price* Same J-to-E and E-to-J dictionaries Word search by kanji English pronunciation Very readable, especially on a DS Lite Easy-to-use search history Useful quiz modes World clock Calendar Here's what Wordtank V80 does better: Vastly superior navigation Superior Japanese dictionary (Super Daijirin vs. Meiky%u014D) Includes Chinese dictionary, as well as dedicated English and Kanji dictionaries Stylus-controlled navigation Includes real (not virtual) keyboard *We're not sure what the official retail price for the dictionary software is, but we found KSRJ for as low as $48 at goldenshop.com.hk.
