May 10

It sounds like one of the oldest jokes in the world - but there's actually truth in the fiction.

Scenario: An English businessman walks into a Japanese bar, he would like to order a drink but he doesn't know the language and the barman only speaks Japanese.

There are any number of predictable punchlines that could follow this story, however, all is not at it seems.



A few tippy taps on his phone and the phone itself speaks to the barman.

British company Echo Translator has developed the first application of its kind to deliver an instant native voice output from a convenient on screen menu, which includes 25 languages.

And it's SERIOUSLY cool.

(And here's the techie bit)... Using Echo Phraselogic technology phone customers can speak, learn and instantly interact with people of different cultures and tongues, without any prior knowledge of the foreign language.

Available for Windows Mobile or Java handsets, the Echo Translator is available to download FREE and try from www.echotranslator.com/.

Echo Travel Basics is free and Echo Travel Pro with more than 10,000 possible phrase combinations can be subscribed to weekly, monthly or purchased outright providing an on-device, personal and convenient alternative to phrase books and classical forms of language education.



Meanwhile... Want to speed up your broadband connection? Diagnose mysterious crashes? Move massive files across the Internet?

Sooner or later, you will - and you'll find step-by-step instructions for these and other common PC tasks on the website www.msn.com.

I was just browsing around the other day and discovered a whole bunch of answers to questions I didn't even know I had.



Here's the best from my desk this week:

Title: Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

Platform: Xbox 360

RRP: £49.99

Hit count: 4/5

Review: The latest instalment in the Command & Conquer series explodes quite literally onto the scene with style.

Boasting much improved state-of-the-art graphics, voiceovers by real (apparently) Hollywood actors and quality sound effects, it is the best C&C yet.

C&C's unique Real-time Strategy approach set the standard and with this new title the developers have shown they are on a role.

Further plus points of the game are that it will not be one that you complete over night, nor will you grow bored in a few minutes.

However you have to be fairly used to the controls and storyline of the original game to feel completely immersed in it.

The fate of the planet - and indeed humanity - is in your hands... fancy a challenge?



Title: Lineage II: Interlude & 15 Day Time Card bundle

Platform: PC (DVD)

RRP: £19.99

Hit count: 3/5

Review: Exotic creatures, epic battles and dramatic lands are promised in the ever-growing fantasy world of Lineage II.

Given its ingredients it might sound like your local newspaper offices but no - this is the realm of imagination.

Continuing on with the massive multi-player online role playing game, players are offered unrivalled gaming experience in a strange new world.

While it may be the coolest thing since sliced bread for many, I found it actually all too much.