Trinvo Talking Translator

On By Michel McDonaldIn TechLeave a comment

I just found this neat gadget on the Dvice.com website.  It is the Trinvo Talking Translator Knows a Dozen Languages post.

When we were thinking about going to Italy a few years ago I was trying my best to learn Italian.  We bought CD’s from Costco and I sat here for hours at a time for weeks trying to learn and I just couldn’t learn it very easily.  And the words that I did learn I don’t seem to remember at all.

I was looking to buy something that would act as a translator for me and I found 1 way but it would cost hundreds of dollars.  I would’ve had to buy a PDA and buy voice recognition software with languages and of course I would’ve had to pay for each language that I needed and it wasn’t cheap, about $50 per language.  We never did make it to Italy though.

But with the Trinvo Talking Translator it makes it so much easier.  Although it is still a bit expensive and since it’s only for sale in the UK via the Gadgetshop website, you are looking to spend quite a bit of money.

The gadget itself is £34.99 and with shipping to the United States they tack on an additional £28.00 as their shipping charge for a grand total of £62.99 which translates to $103.86.  Without that bogus shipping charge the gadget still costs $57.70.  But who wants to pay the same amount for shipping that the gadget itself costs?

I suppose if you were to buy it at the airport you would end up paying over $100 anyway.

Microsoft and Yahoo Vs. Google

On By Michel McDonaldIn NewsLeave a comment

I saw on Fox News this morning that Microsoft and Yahoo are going to merge and Yahoo will start using Microsoft’s Bing search engine.  I don’t know why.  Anyway, they said that Google has been kicking Yahoo’s ass in the search engine department so MS and Yahoo are going to combine to kick Google’s ass.

Shep on Fox said that Bing seems to be a way better search engine but I don’t know about that.  I just did a Bing search for my name “Xanapus” and it didn’t seem that special to me.  It has a pop up on the right side of each item that shows you whats in there but who really cares about that?  It’s not a little mini image of the page, its text.  I don’t see how it’s better than Google personally.

Also, a few nights ago we went to visit friends of ours and when I went to look up the directions I opened Windows Live Mail (which I find easier than Outlook Express) and opened up the address book to copy the address to paste in Google maps but the address was a link so I clicked it and up came Bing Map.  After awhile trying to figure out just how I was supposed to get directions to that address I finally printed the directions with a map.  Well, those directions got us lost because they put us somewhere else.  They told us to turn left when we were supposed to go to another street 2 streets up on the right.  We ended up having to call to find out which street to go to and found out right and not left.

Google in my opinion is way better for search engines and for maps.  I’m probably not going to change.  There are some aspects of Google I don’t care for like Google Chrome browser because it doesn’t give me my Yahoo toolbar.  I’m kinda sorta looking forward to Google Chrome OS only because of the claim that it starts up faster than Windows but we will see if I can still use my Windows software since it will be Linux-based.  One service of Google’s that I do love is their free 1-800-GOOG-411.

Good luck Microsoft and Yahoo.

Bikini Christmas in July – Minisode Network

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

Hey, awhile ago I commented on a Gidget video on the Minisode Network channel over on YouTube.  It was the episode called Gidget’s Foreign Policy starring Walter Koenig (Chekov from Star Trek) and I made a comment saying Chekov spanking a girl awesomeness or something like that.  Well, in this video they show my name but they put stars on my comment lol.  Anyway, I thought it was cool that they have my name Xanapus in this video at 3:40.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNRLu1lGB4M

Hannah Montana PSP?

On By Michel McDonaldIn PSPLeave a comment

hannahpspI guess Sony has realized that there is a market for their PlayStation Portable for girls so they are coming out with a Hannah Montana PSP that is Lilac colored.

The Sony PSP Hannah Montana Lilac Bundle sells for $199.99 as most PSP bundles do and it comes with:

Limited Edition Hannah Montana Entertainment Pack Bundle includes limited edition “Lilac” PSP®-3000 system, Hannah Montana: Rock Out The Show UMD® game, Hannah Montana UMD® video, 2GB Memory Stick® Pro Duo, and PSP® vinyl stickers! Design and star in the show in the new Hannah Montana: Rock Out The Show video game. Travel to seven amazing locations around the world and customize your concerts. Design each performance including stage sets, song lists, and performers. Create a custom show in each city you visit and rock the stage for your fans!

This ships on 8/4/09 so to all the girls who ordered this your time is coming soon so just be patient a little longer.  You are lucky because you are getting the PSP 3 with 2GB of memory stick and stickers.  Not that I needed stickers but I am a little bitter that I only have 1GB memory stick heh.  I also have the PSP 2.  I’m happy with it though.

Although there is something that I didn’t notice as being listed and that’s the charger and battery.  I’m sure it comes with it because you can’t have a PSP without those but they just didn’t list them at the GameStop website.

The Definition of Screen Saver and Online

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

Have we all forgotten what words mean again?  Ok, for all of those morons out there let me give you a lesson.

Screen saver is not what your wallpaper is.  You know, the image that you see with all of your icons.  That’s your wallpaper.  Say it with me.  Wall Pa Per.  Wallpaper.  That is not a screen saver.  In the olden days if you kept the same thing on the screen for too long, the image or numbers/letters would burn into the screen so every time you looked at it you would see whatever it is that got burned in there forever.  That is why they invented screen savers which is more of a moving presentation to protect your monitor.  But those days are over.  You can still use a screen saver mainly to protect your screen from prying eyes when you aren’t there.

The definition of being “online” seems to have gotten cloudy too.  When you are standing at the bank you are not standing online at the bank.  If you are standing behind someone and there is someone standing behind you then you are “in line” not online.  Online means being connected to the Internet.  Now if you were standing in line at the bank and you were checking your email on your cell phone then sure, you are online while standing in line at the bank.

Did that help?  Are you more familiar with the English language now?

LOL thanks for putting up with my rants.

Woman Decapitates and Eats Parts of Her Son

On By Michel McDonaldIn NewsLeave a comment

Holy cow dude!  There is this woman in San Antonio Texas who killed and ate parts of her baby.  Here is the article from the Times.

A Texas woman decapitated her newborn baby and ate pieces of his body before turning a knife on herself, police said Monday.

The woman was covered in blood and screaming: “I killed my baby, I want to die” when police arrived at the modest San Antonio home.

“She mentioned that someone or something told her to do it and she was hearing voices, so that leads us to believe she was experiencing some kind of mental crisis,” said police spokesman Joe Rios.

The woman had separated from the baby’s father about a week earlier and was living with her mother and sister, who were helping to care for the baby born on June 30.

The woman was discovered around 4:30 am Sunday by her mother, who found her holding the decapitated baby.

She appeared to have ingested parts of her child after attacking him with a knife, Rios said.

“She was biting on the head,” Rios told AFP.

Otty Sanchez, 33, was charged with capital murder and remained in hospital Monday.

I saw on a video by AustinVanDusen on YouTube that this lady said that the devil told her to do it.  Yeah…. ok whatever lady.  What if “god” told her that her baby would be a future Hitler or maybe the “devil” told her that her baby would be a future saint then I can see that as her reason but as far as I know it was just that the devil told her to do it.  Ok sure.  Whatever.  First of all I don’t believe in the devil so I can’t believe that something I don’t believe in would be going around telling people to kill and ingest their baby.

This woman is a real ghoul, she’s a zombie.  Why is it that these people are allowed to procreate yet I’m told by the state of California that I can’t even get married.  I get so sick of being human sometimes.

Suffering Side Effects

On By Michel McDonaldIn Doctor, HealthLeave a comment

Well I’ve already started to suffer some of the side effects from these medications that the neurologist gave me for my shoulder.

I’m taking Methylprednisolone 4MG Dospack 21’s which is this pack that has all the pills that you pop out the back.  The first day is at the top and you have to take 6 pills in 1 day.  2 before breakfast, 1 after lunch and supper (I guess that drug company has never heard of dinner) and 2 at bedtime.  Then day 2 you take 5 pills at various times throughout the day.  Day 3 4 pills and so on until day 6 you are just taking 1 pill.  This one is the steroid drug.

Then the other one is Baclofen 10MG tablets that I have to take 3 times a day so like every 8 hours.  That is a muscle relaxant drug.

I read the possible side effects for both of them and some of them are similar.  The muscle relaxant doesn’t have nearly as many side effects as the steroid but I’m getting quite a bit.

1 of them isn’t even listed and I’m not going to air that dirty laundry in here but believe me, it’s painful to sit down hint hint wink wink.  The other ones are that my teeth don’t feel like they belong in my mouth lol.  They just feel strange like the dentist shot something in there to numb them.  Also I’ve got major joint aches and pains especially in my legs at the hips and well just everywhere in my legs.

Let’s see, I can’t sit, I can’t stand and my teeth don’t feel like they belong in my mouth lol.  What else can go wrong?  Oh shoot, I just jinxed myself by saying that.  One of the other side effects are that I’m hungry more which happened today, I got extra hungry, I had 2 sandwiches for lunch, not just bread but these really big rolls with 3 slices of turkey each and lettuce and mayo.  Oh and we went to Hometown Buffet and I stuffed myself silly and one of the other side effects is weight gain which I guarantee you tomorrow I will see that side effect come into place thanks to the hometown buffet but we’re just gonna say it’s a side effect from the pills ok?

UGH and my shoulders are experiencing joint pain too.  Ok, I think I need to lay down because I’m becoming too fragile to be sitting here typing.  One of my fingers might fall off and we don’t want that.

WiFi Scale Tells The World How Fat You Are

On By Michel McDonaldIn TechLeave a comment

WiFi scale notifies the internet of your lapsed diet – source Dvice.com

wifiscaleJust imagine that you have this in your bathroom.  You stand on the scale and all of a sudden the whole world knows just how fat you really are lol.

Through wi-fi this scale will post your weight and body fat percentage to the internet or if you have an iPhone it will transmit it through wi-fi to a iPhone app.

Why in the world would anyone want to do that?  I mean sure if you are skinny like 150lbs or lighter and you are constantly working out and keeping yourself nice and thin then I could understand wanting to brag about how skinny you are but not me.  If this could transmit the info to SparkPeople then fine but it wouldn’t do me that much good to do that because when I do my weekly weigh in’s at the SparkPeople website I also have to measure my waist, hips and neck too.  As far as I know this isn’t that capable.

So, no thanks lol.  I think I’ll pass.

Home Laser Hair Removal

On By Michel McDonaldIn TechLeave a comment

laserhair

Are you tired of shaving and don’t want to have to pay the high price of getting laser hair removal?  Then why not pay $549 for a product that you can use in the privacy of your own home.  Holy shit dude!  $549?

The Silk’n Store International™ sells this product through their website as I said for $549.  This thing uses a lamp that only lasts for 750 flashes then you have to replace the bulb.  It comes with 2 lamps or you can pay the same price for 4 lamps (it’s on sale).  They sell extra lamps for $55 per lamp.  You can buy 1 lamp or you can buy 3 or more and just pay $55 for each.

They say it takes about 3 months to notice that the hair is permanently gone which is a bit of time to see results I guess but as long as you keep using it then you should be ok.

It says you can use this on your underarms, legs, bikini line etc.  What exactly is the etc part?  Can you use this on your face?  I for one would love to never have to shave my face again.  Men can use this on their chest (as the picture on the MySpace ad shows) but I wonder where else men can use this.  Could you use this on your balls?  No seriously, I’m not trying to be gross.  I wonder if it’s safe for your balls and maybe even your crack too.  I for one can’t stand the gross unnecessary hair on my ass lol.  Why do I need hair there?  When I go to the bathroom… ok this is starting to become too much information.

Anyway, I think that if you have $550 to spend on this product with 4 lamps go for it.  After 3 months are up and you have no more hair to laser off then you can sell it on eBay to get your money back or at least half of your money back.  When you sell it on eBay you are gonna have to buy some lamps to sell along with it because you can’t just sell it with no lamps.  That wouldn’t be right.

Bicycle Of The Future

On By Michel McDonaldIn TechLeave a comment

2_bike_pres

Check out this new bicycle concept by Marten Wallgren who won the award for best concept in the competition called “Future City Mobility”.

This is a concept for the future so basically in 20 years you might see this in London Gardens which they say is a bus and bicycle only zone.

They don’t really give out much information as to how to obtain one of these bicycles other than showing pictures.  You go to the bus stop where you see all of these bicycles in a tree which stores the bikes.  I can only assume that these are all rentals because they each have a number on them like a license plate number.

When you are riding it you are building up the battery power with your peddling power.  If you are peddling while sitting straight up as if you are on a beach cruiser you are building 1x the battery.  If you are more leaning forward in a faster racing type of mode you are building 3x the battery.  If you are sitting up and letting the motor do all the work you are using the battery instead.

How this helps you out though is by you building up the battery to 100% when you get in a taxi or bus with a holder for this bike you get a free ride if you let the vehicle drain your battery.  I’m not so sure about a free taxi ride but definitely a free bus ride.

This is a neat concept but 2030 is a long way away and it’s possible that this is going to be a London only idea or perhaps it will be copied over to the US and everywhere else in the world before too long.

It will be especially neat if we get our flying cars by 2030 then there won’t be any cars to compete with on the roads because they will all be up in the air.