The Buzz

Scanned Books into MP3s
A new text-to-speech device has been making some noise of its own. At last month's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Plustek showed off its latest scanner, the BookReader V100, which turns printed text into a spoken audio file. To use, simply place a book or document on the scanner, and in a one-button operation, the BookReader will convert the print to high-quality speech, which can be saved in MP3 format. $700. www.plustek.com.

Spore Comes to Life
Players of the acclaimed video game Spore can now bring their creatures to life. At Spore Sculptor, users can design a creature, choosing from a multitude of body parts (a minimum two legs are required and, sorry, no “segmentenna”). Once completed, the critter can be rendered as a one-of-a-kind figurine through the magic of Z Corporation's 3D printing technology. Zprint models measure four inches tall. $49.50. www.sporesculptor.com.

New from WowWee
A trio of micro projectors—one designed to pair with the iPod and iPhone—debuted at CES. The Cinemin suite of pico projectors by WowWee boasts DLP Technology and comes in three highly portable models: the candy bar-like Swivel ($299), which features a 90-degree hinge; the Stick ($349), equipped with an expandable SD card and slot; and the alarm-clock-size Cinemin Station ($399) with an iPod dock. www.wowwee.com.

Slick New Ereader
Move over, Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader. The Foxit eSlick is a new ebook device, featuring a six-inch display and the same E Ink technology of those other guys. But the eSlick, which includes a 2GB SD card and weighs just 6.4 ounces is quite a bit cheaper. With a $229.99 introductory price, the eSlick is due in March. Stay tuned for Jeff Hastings's take. www.foxitsoftware.com/ebook.

Teen Tech Week
OMG, it's TTW. To help inspire librarians for the March 8–14 event, YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) is offering three new VoiceThread presentations, including “Teen Tech Week on a Budget.” Users can leave text, video, or audio comments, and share their own ideas for celebrating the annual event. Visit www.ala.org/teentechweek and click “Resources” at the top of the page.

Cover All Angles with Flipbac
Sweet little camera accessory Flipbac gives shutterbugs a whole new perspective. Whether you are trying to shoot over a crowd, shoot from the hip, or dip down for a worm's-eye view, this hinged viewfinder allows you to see a reflected image of your camera's LCD screen (that's a mirror or backward image). The Flipbac opens 180 degrees in both landscape and portrait positions and fits a three-inch LCD screen. A 2.5-inch model is in the works. $19.99. flipbac.com.