End User

An Amazon.com Exclusive

When CD burners first came out, they were the coolest geek toy on the block and everyone had to have one. If you didn't, you were a dinosaur in the technology world. And being that we were all so technologically advanced, we of course labeled all our new CDs with a Sharpie marker. This was, of course, before the creation of actual high-tech tools such as the DYMO DiscPainter that actually print directly on our discs. Some of us haven't advanced though, and if you're still a member of the Sharpie-labeling generation why not tell us about your most ingenious use of a Sharpie marker in an exclusive Amazon.com contest. And if you need to pick up some Sharpies to figure out an unique use before submitting your entry, check out the new Amazon.com Office Supplies store.

-Keenan

Say What?

Tomorrow I take off for a few days in the great white North. Montreal has an official language of French and I don't speak a word of it besides "foie gras". While many people there also speak fluent English, I'm told that many of the restaurants, bars, and other places have menus exclusively in French. Being in a new city where I might not know what I'm ordering scares me even as a culinary adventurer, so I'm bringing with me a Franklin 12-Language Speaking Translator. This is definitely going to help me when I'm either deciphering what I'll be eating at Au Pied De Cochon or trying to ask a taxi to take me home at the end of the evening. This compact device even has a slide-out full keyboard and built in MP3 player.

Now if only it had a color LCD screen and more storage space...

Weekend Getaway - Without Getting Lost

Confession of a Seattle native: I have never really been to Portland.

This weekend, I'll be fixing that gap with a visit to the City of Roses. I'm really looking forward to making use of my new Samsung Blackjack II and it's GPS capabilities to find my way around. A car charger and windshield cradle have been acquired (which unfortunately don't come with the phone). It does voice commands telling me where and when to turn, visual street cues on the 2.4-inch LCD screen, and I can keep up on my Outlook email while I'm gone since it runs Windows Mobile 6. This phone has everything short of a touch-screen.

Now I know that I'll be able to find my way to the nearest maple bacon doughnut.

-Keenan C.