technabob » words http://technabob.com/blog gadgets, gizmos, games, cool gadgets for geeks Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:17:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 mom, what’s a gerbil?: oxford junior dictionary omits “nature words”, puts in more tech ones http://technabob.com/blog/2009/02/04/mom-whats-a-gerbil-oxford-junior-dictionary-omits-nature-words-puts-in-more-tech-ones/ http://technabob.com/blog/2009/02/04/mom-whats-a-gerbil-oxford-junior-dictionary-omits-nature-words-puts-in-more-tech-ones/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:46:52 +0000 lambert v. http://technabob.com/blog/?p=8572 Oxford Junior Dictionary will be missing numerous words that pertain to natural things like animals, flowers & birds. A few fantasy and religious terms will also be removed. And what will replace these words? Tech words, like “chatroom”. A word that everyone, even cats, already knows.…]]> The assimilation has begun. The latest edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary will be missing numerous words that pertain to natural things like animals, flowers & birds. A few fantasy and religious terms will also be removed. And what will replace these words? Tech words, like “chatroom”. A word that everyone, even cats, already knows. I hear that the publisher of the dictionary is headed by a certain Mr. Locutus.

locutus

The reason for this change? According to Vineeta Gupta of the Skynet Oxford University Press, “the decision to remove nature words is due to the reduced presence of nature in children’s lives.” Hmm. So if a student is weak at math, we should stop teaching him math altogether? And why put already popular words in a dictionary? Why would kids refer to a dictionary for things which they’ll probably know about through their daily activities? Mom and Dad, don’t you want your kids to know the names of the animals in Happy Tree Friends?

Read Dan Gould’s article at PFSK for the complete list of words removed and words added. Mrs. Connor are you listening? Teach John to love nature okay? Nature!

]]> http://technabob.com/blog/2009/02/04/mom-whats-a-gerbil-oxford-junior-dictionary-omits-nature-words-puts-in-more-tech-ones/feed/ 1 lebedev tells the time in words http://technabob.com/blog/2007/02/21/lebedev-tells-the-time-in-words/ http://technabob.com/blog/2007/02/21/lebedev-tells-the-time-in-words/#comments Thu, 22 Feb 2007 05:11:08 +0000 technabob http://technabob.com/blog/2007/02/21/lebedev-tells-the-time-in-words/ “fifteen minutes to five.” The clock is multi-lingual and can tell time in Russian, English, German, Spanish or French and is being offered…]]> Russian industrial designer, Art Lebedev has introduced his latest creation, a clock that displays time using words rather than numbers or hands.

Art Lebedev Verbarius Clock

Lebedev’s Verbarius clock spells out the time using phrases like “fifteen minutes to five.” The clock is multi-lingual and can tell time in Russian, English, German, Spanish or French and is being offered at an preorder price of $158.25, with an expected release date of November 2007.

[via Gizmodo]

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