CONSUMERS : Calculating Correct Foreign Words
Seiko Instruments’ new, bilingual electronic language translators are due in December at electronic and department stores and specialty shops nationwide.
The devices make finding the correct word in French, Spanish or English as easy as uno, dos, three.
There are four models of the pocket-sized translators, two English-French and two English-Spanish. They can translate from English to Spanish or French or vice versa, depending on the model. The 40,000-word units retail for $89.95; the 80,000-word devices will cost $119.95.
The machines also operate as full-function calculators with memory and as currency exchangers. They use two lithium batteries and come with a carrying wallet.
In the Los Angeles area, the devices will be available at Adrays, Century 21 Electronics and Sharper Image. To find stores that carry them in other areas, call Seiko Instruments’ toll-free number, (800) 873-4568, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
Fray Check Helps When It’s a Raw Deal
One of the most versatile products on the market is Fray Check, a clear liquid sealant that prevents raw edges of fabric--seams or hems, for example--from raveling, strengthens thread that holds buttons, repairs burns on rugs, seals breaks in lace and stops runs in nylons.
Manufactured by Dritz Corp. of Spartanburg, S.C., Fray Check comes in a 3/4-ounce bottle and will not discolor or stain most fabrics, a company spokesman says. Still, it is wise to test it on an inconspicuous seam. Fine fabrics require a lighter application than do heavier ones.
A treated fabric may be slightly stiff after drying but that disappears with washing. Fray Check withstands laundering or dry cleaning, Dritz says.
Suggested retail for Fray Check is $2.59; it can be found nationwide in department store notions sections or fabric and sewing stores. If you can’t find it in your area, contact Dritz Corp. at (800) 845-4948.
Quick ‘n’ Easy Water That’s Pure, Portable
Tired of carrying bottled water to your home or office? Consider Glacier Pure, a new portable water processing system that, its manufacturer says, turns tap water into purified drinking water an hour after it is refrigerated.
The system features a three-stage internal filtration and processing system in a plastic double-chamber jug. First, water goes through a filter that takes out rust, dirt or sediment. Then it passes through an activated carbon filter to remove colors, tastes, odors and chlorine. A third filter completes the cycle; after refrigeration the water is ready for use.
The Glacier Pure processor costs between $9.99 and $14.99; replacement filters from $3.99 to $5.99 at major retailers nationwide. The filter should last for 100 gallons or 60 days, reports a spokeswoman for Glacier Water Systems Inc. of Mount Prospect, Ill.
In Southern California, the system is available at Walgreen’s, F. W. Woolworth, Target, Albertsons and Price Club. To find it in other areas, contact Glacier Pure Water Systems Inc., 550 Business Center Drive, the Kensington Center, Mount Prospect, Ill. 60056; phone, (312) 803-1150.
Endangered Caribou Joins Plush Species
Joining the World Wildlife Fund’s family of stuffed plush animals of endangered species this year is the caribou, a North American deer on the endangered list.
The caribou, a close relative to the reindeer, was added to the stuffed toy collection, which includes reproductions of snow leopards, tigers, whales, sea turtles, pandas and elephants. Each plush toy wears an official green and black World Wildlife Fund panda medallion and comes with a booklet about the real animal and its habitat.
The small stuffed animals (six to seven inches) retail for about $10; medium (12 inches), about $18-$30; large (24-36 inches), $35 to $70, and giant animals (two to three feet) are about $200.
The Washington-based World Wildlife Fund, the largest conservation group working to help preserve wildlife in more than 110 countries, benefits from the sale of each stuffed animal. Its collection is carried nationwide in department, gift and toy stores. If you can’t find the stuffed toys in your area, contact Applause Inc., the distributor, at (800) 777-6900.
