Nice Translator makes Google's translations sexy

If you like Google's translate service but want something that can do the same phrase in multiple languages at once and in real time, the Nice Translator is worth checking out.

This simple application uses Google Translate to do the heavy lifting. It lets users type in any phrase, in any language, then translates it into one of the other 34 available languages as they type.

The site works fairly well on mobile devices, including the iPhone, though not as well as Google's own mobile-translation page despite its one-language-at-a-time limitation.

Via Webware and FriendFeed

New face in Mac clone market plans high-end OS X desktops

A company called EFi-X USA (no, that's not a throwaway droid from Empire Strikes Back) apparently plans to take on Mac clone maker Psystar by bypassing the consumer market and jumping straight to the power user demographic.

The machines it's prepping sound pretty nice, with a 3.8GHz Intel Core 2 Quad processor, 1TB storage on 7200 rpm drives, a 150GB 10k rpm system drive, 4GB of included RAM, and a GeForce 8800 GTS GPU.

What's more, according to AppleInsider, the company is planning to let consumers customize their machines, meaning that if the current crop of Mac Pros aren't what you're looking for, you can make up your own personalized system.

The systems will reportedly sell for US$2,100, but that includes the proprietary EFi-X internal adapter that tricks OS X into thinking it's on a Mac. That's how this company plans to work the magic.

We haven't heard word from Apple's legal team yet, and we're not sure what the legal ramifications for such a dongle might be.

Apple has so far not dropped as big a hammer as it could have on Psystar. Currently the companies are in litigation over copyright infringement. We'll see how Apple responds to this new challenger.

Via CNET Crave

3D desktop revealed in Apple patent filing

Are you ready for a 3D desktop?

Apple is working on such a project, according to patent filings unearthed by MacRumors this week. The "multidimensional desktop" applications suggest that Apple wants to take familiar parts of the Mac OS X desktop--such as the dock--and add depth, allowing you to stack documents or folders behind application icons on the "floor" of your desktop.

The idea of a 3D desktop is not new, but neither is it something that people are using in large numbers. When it comes to patent applications there's always a distinct chance that the technology never actually makes it into a product; still, it's always interesting to see what companies are working up in the labs.

Via CNET Crave

A minuscule optical mouse

If clicking multiple buttons is too strenuous an activity, check this mouse out.

The Z Nano Optical Mouse, which bills itself as the "world's tiniest" optical mouse, is, at 1.65 inches by 0.83 inches by 0.69 inches, barely larger than a human finger tip. It plugs into any PC via a USB cable, and instead of right and left click buttons, the user needs only to roll a finger to the left or right instead. And in the case of scrolling, you click buttons on the mouse's side.

The Z Nano has clear plastic casing and is lit by multicolor LEDs on the inside. Under where the finger goes, there's also a place to insert a tiny image to personalize the device.

It costs US$60, and is available on FlipAlbum.com.

Via CNET Crave

Zero-day exploit hits Internet Explorer

One flaw not addressed in the recent patch is a heap overflow within the XML parser reported on Wednesday by Bojan Zdrnja of the SANS Internet Storm Center.

The exploit in the wild on Wednesday creates an XML tag, then waits 6 seconds in an attempt to thwart antivirus engines. The exploit could then crash the browser and run malicious code when the browser is restarted. The user must be running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, and using Internet Explorer 7.

Zdrnja writes that "at this point in time, it does not appear to be wildly used, but as the code is publicly available, we can expect that this will happen very soon."

A Microsoft representative said the company is "investigating new public claims of a possible vulnerability in Internet Explorer. Once we're done investigating, we will take appropriate action to help protect customers. This may include providing a security update through the monthly release process, an out-of-cycle update, or additional guidance to help customers protect themselves."


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