With the advances in technology meaning things are smaller and more valuable people are always looking for new ways to stop things from getting lost, and stop them from getting nicked. Memory sticks certainly fall into this category: it is now far too easy to lose your new tiny memory stick, and if you are that sort of slimy person, it is also very easy to take them off your desk and copy all your valuable documents. Bring in the CurrentKey: the height of USB stick disguise and poor puns.

The NYRIUS Global Talking Translator offers 8400 programmed phrases in 12 languages. The unit has a speaker so that it can say the phrases for you in the language you choose. In emergencies, this could be quite helpful since you wouldn’t need to worry about miscommunication due to mispronunciation.

The form factor is small — small enough to fit in a shirt or pant pocket. However, the sacrifice for such a convenient size is the lack of a keyboard to type in phrases, leaving you tied to the unit’s less than convenient menu tree of phrases. Access to the menus is via dedicated buttons on the unit, such as Emergency, Transportation, and Restaurants. The unit does come with a paper reference guide that maps the phrases by the menus. Finding a phrase this way is a bit quicker than doing it through the unit, but it means you’ve got one more thing to bring with you. More after the break.

PMP (personal media players) are becoming increasingly popular for their versatility and array of features, but less so for their often over exuberant price tag. So when the new Mintpad from mintpass was unveiled (after a long enough delay for us to wonder where it had gone) for a reported price of around $160 people were instantly interested.

Not only does the price tag attract attention, but the interesting shape and design also draws eyes. Looking like a modern electronic version of a Post-it, it it operated by stylus which instantly creates attractions and problems. But beside that, on the physical side it is incredibly competitive, with a small sleek design that looks suspiciously like a blend between the Nintendo DS and a square Apple iPod Touch.