The Buzz

Thanks to graphical software, even a dictionary can offer dynamic fun. With Visuwords, an online graphical resource, users can look up words to find their meanings, as well as relationships to other words and concepts. The result? A diagram akin to a neural network floats into place before your eyes. Enter words into a search box or double-click a node to expand the tree. Hover over nodes to reveal the definition and click and drag select nodes to move them around to help clarify connections. Free and accessible online, Visuwords uses Princeton University's open-source database WordNet. www.visuwords.com.

The film's 30th anniversary has injected new life into the Star Wars franchise, sparking plenty of commemorative this and commemorative that. On the geek side, there's the Star Wars mimobot series of USB flash drives, from Mimoco. Darth Vadar was the first of the set, "marking the first time the Dark Lord of the Sith will appear on a data storage device," according to the company. Chewbacca, Stormtrooper, and R2-D2 round out the series, limited to an edition of 2,500 to 3,500 units for each character. The Mac and Windows compatible devices range in price ($70 to $150) and capacity (1GB to 4GB). www.mimoco.com.

DIY kid's furniture that combines high design with recycled cardboard? That's Foldschool, a series of downloadable patterns for making a child-sized stool, chair, and rocker, all constructed of cardboard. A proposed antidote to the "superficiality and ecological absurdity" of mass culture, Foldschool was created by Swiss architect Nicola Enrico Stäubli, who offers design templates and instructions free of charge online. Though made for kids under six, the sturdy furniture can support the weight of an adult, and requires only common materials to make: a sharp-bladed knife, household glue, and new or recycled 4 mm single-layer cardboard. www.foldschool.com.

Not since Harry Potter has a product caused such excitement at School Library Journal. No sooner had the Flip Video landed on the desk of tech editor Kathy Ishizuka—reports one anonymous witness—than the digital camcorder was ripped from her hands by colleagues eager to try it out. Little wonder, the Flip Video is easy to use and at $150 for the 60-minute model, a steal. Embedded online video-sharing software eases the way to uploading to YouTube and other sites. Meanwhile, back at SLJ, the prospect of another hot summer conference season had a sobering effect on the restive staff and order was restored. www.theflip.com.

First, the bad news: the human brain starts slowing down as early as age 30. The good news? You can do something about it. A confluence of modern neuroscience and the Web, Lumosity is a free online program to help you kickstart your cognitive abilities. According to Lumos Labs, neuroscience research and development company and creator of the site, initial users of the beta project have experienced clearer and quicker thinking, increased alertness, elevated mood, and better concentration. Users can head straight to the gym, so to speak, for brain fitness exercises or assess their current condition with a Lumos IQ test. www.lumosity.com.

Users already have a host of choices for creating a digital stand-in. How about an avatar rendered as a 3-D, animated talking head? Gizmoz, an Israeli company, has made this technology available for anyone to use. Simply upload a single face personal photo and within minutes you can create a customized digital character that you can post on your site, blog, or social network. Record a message and your avatar will speak in your voice, completely in sync, with corresponding facial gestures so eerily lifelike, the Gizmoz version of you will amaze your friends—or creep them out. www.gizmoz.com.

Internet filtering is a major issue, not just at your local library, but around the world. The number of states that limit citizens' access to Web content is on the rise, according to the Open Net Initiative (ONI), a recently launched study of global Internet filtering. ONI is a collaboration between several academic institutions, including the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School and Cambridge and Oxford universities, whose goal is to investigate Internet filtering in order to better inform public policy. But anyone interested in free access to information will find the site worthwhile. Highlights include a world filtering map and a search tool to find blocked sites by country. Opennet.net.

Attention all bloggers. While many of you old hands have been at this game for awhile, you may not be aware that your online publication is subject to a range of state and federal laws. So consider bookmarking "12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know," a clearly written guide, free of legal jargon, produced by Aviva Directory, a Web business resource. Topics covered include the legality of deep linking, the proper use of images and thumbnails, and copyright issues regarding user-developed content. www.avivadirectory.com/blogger-law.

Recording notes and lectures or podcasting on the run just got easier. The MicroMemo, by Xtreme Mac, plugs into your second generation iPod Nano to capture audio content directly to your iPod, no additional batteries or cables required. The MicroMemo records in two quality levels, although if you're podcasting, the high setting, with a sample rate of 44.10 kHz, is the ideal. Recording time is displayed on your Nano's screen in real time, and the built-in speaker allows you to listen to your recordings instantly, with or without earbuds. Your recordings are easily managed within iTunes, and from there, you can edit in GarageBand or import to other programs. The original MicroMemo—an update has just been released—was named the 2006 Best Audio Recorder by iLounge. $60. www.xtrememac.com.