pcNames, a domain registrar and provider of deleted domains search engine, today announced that it has created 3-character and dictionary domain search tools.

The company said that, there are 40,000 3-character and 5,000 dictionary domains listed in the search tool. These lists are made up of all available domains including .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, and .us. Since manual searching through every word in the dictionary or every possible 3-character combination to find an available one is a tedious endeavor, pcNames.com has developed and released the complete list of all available 3-character and dictionary domains.

Additionally, pcNames has performed other updates such as a word variation tool and made key changes to the shopping cart. The word variation option searches for the requested keyword along with all variations of the word entered by the user.

Source - http://www.webhosting.info/news/1/

Knowledge Factory, ETL Solutions and Quidity have joined together to build a comprehensive National Address Dictionary (NAD). It will be called the Alliance NAD and is a comprehensive list of physical addresses that have been verified as correct and accurate. The physical addresses have been ascribed to their corresponding cadastres (erven), thereby allowing subscribers the ability to accurately locate the properties on a map.

“A complete NAD allows any organisation - public or private - access to the physical location of any valid address in South Africa,” says John Sikiotis, managing director of Knowledge Factory.

“Benefits of this include improved service delivery from a public perspective and an accurate understanding of where customers reside from a private industry perspective, resulting in reduced marketing expenditure, an improved understanding of customer behaviours and a robust framework for matters of legal compliance, e.g. FICA,”

Knowledge Factory primarily brings an experienced “analytics” team comprising statistical, spatial, data warehousing and data mining skills to the foray, as well as a variety of important datasets, such as a national Cadastral Address Database (CAD) of around 6.6 million records; an existing NAD of approximately 3.9 million records (4.3 million including extrapolated addresses), a comprehensive national vector map set with numerous users providing constant feedback, 12 years of deeds office transaction data; and a range of marketing insights related products such as ClusterPlus*, MarketPlus* and CensusPlus*.

ETL has expertise in all aspects of the data collection, processing and validation processes; as well as the ‘Superbase’ – a database of 20-million plus consumer records.

Quidity is a company that specialises in the development of data processing applications in a spatial environment. As such, it has particular expertise in the creation and validation of the NAD data in the spatial context.

Source - http://www.marketingweb.co.za/fast_news/909992.htm

Mid Valley Elementary third-graders received a surprise gift recently when they were given student dictionaries by volunteers from Sprint.

Betty Osborne and George Spontak, representatives from Sprint, visited all three third grade classes to present the children with their free dictionaries.

During their visit, Osborne and Spontak helped the students explore the books by conducting a word scavenger hunt. As the children paged through their dictionaries, they excitedly discovered more than just words — the books are also filled with maps, illustrations of the planets, sign language, Braille, and other fascinating tidbits of knowledge.

Sprint employees regularly hold community fund-raisers to support projects such as the dictionary give-away.

Third graders throughout the Hood River district and the Columbia Gorge will receive dictionaries.

For many of these students, it may be the first reference book in their personal libraries.

Source - http://www.hoodrivernews.com/News%20stories/013_WW_2.htm

Current info about electronic dictionary is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest electronic dictionary info available.

George W Bush can’t say ‘nuclear’. Does it matter? He is the most powerful person in the world. But he is ridiculed for his vocabulary and use of words. Would you want power as well as respect? With the daily use of a good electronic dictionary you will begin to improve your pronounciation as well as your vocabulary.

From my research I know that with the latest sound technology pronounciations of difficult words are much more audible and copiable. The searches are that much quicker than they used to be and the handheld electronic dictionary now sits snugly in your pocket, unlike your old style paper dictionary.

There was a little boy who asked for a hamburger but he was never able to have it cooked the way he liked or with different kinds of filling due to his limited vocabulary. That little boy was all of us. Most of us are still unable to ask for things exactly the way we want them.

If you are like me and live in a foreign country, not having enough words to express yourself becomes even more problematic.

Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

After consulting my paper dictionary I found out that microphone is spelt the same way as in English. I went up to the shopping assistant and asked for a ‘microphone’ for my PC in my best spanish accent but he didn’t understand me. I then whipped out my PDA and got it to say the word ‘microphone’ to him as a test. I thought then that these things really work.

An electronic dictionary can now be used when ever you need it as they are small, fast and and audible. They can be standalone handheld, or downloaded to your PDA and cellphone or you can use free online dictionaries.

I suggest you try out some of the free resources available that can be found on the internet. Download some free, shareware or trial software and use a few of the free online dictionaries. There are dictionaries available for topics such as languages, legal, medical, science, technical, business and math to name a few.

If you have just 7 minutes a day, use an electronic dictionary. Then you can build an executive vocabulary that grants you instant credibility and persuasive power by knowing exactly what words to say and when to say them.

Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about electronic dictionary into just one article. But you can’t deny that you’ve just added to your understanding about electronic dictionaries, and that’s time well spent.

Daniel J Lesser is the creator of best-electronic-dictionary.com. A whole world awaits with the right words in your handsFind out how you can expand your horizons at www.best-electronic-dictionary.com.

View their website at: http://www.best-electronic-dictionary.com

dlesser1972@yahoo.co.uk

Source - http://www.dailyindia.com/show/2046.php

Heinle Picture Dictionary Interactive CD-ROM recognized among Best
Instructional Solutions for English Language Acquisition

BOSTON, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Thomson ELT, a leading provider
of materials for English language teaching and learning throughout the world
and part of the Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC), announced its
selection as a finalist in the Software & Information Industry Association’s
21st Annual Codie Awards for The Heinle Picture Dictionary Interactive CD-ROM.
The Codie Awards is the only peer recognition program in the software and
information industry providing a unique opportunity for companies to compete
for the praise of their competitors.
The Heinle Picture Dictionary’s 124 richly illustrated lessons, complete
with audio support for all words, are fully searchable and easy to navigate.
Learners at various language levels can explore the vocabulary and contexts
most important to them as they build fluency. The program offers a wealth of
activity types that practice all skill areas at levels ranging from basic word
searches to higher-level dictation exercises.
“We are honored that The Heinle Picture Dictionary Interactive CD-ROM was
selected as a finalist for the 2006 Codie Awards,” said Sherrise Roehr,
Executive Editor for Dictionaries and Adult ESL, Thomson ELT. “Being
recognized by our peers in the Best Instructional Solution: English Language
Acquisition category is truly gratifying.”
Thomson ELT shares top honors with four others in the English Language
Acquisition category. The 2006 Codie Awards winners will be announced at a
gala event on May 16, 2006 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco,
California.
“We founded the Codie Awards 21 years ago so that the pioneers of the
then-nascent software industry could evaluate and honor each other’s work,”
said Ken Wasch, SIIA President. “The Codies have grown along with the markets
it represents, and today competition is fiercer than ever. That makes
selection as a Codie finalist a true achievement, and all the companies on
this year’s list should feel justifiably proud of their recognition.”

About The Thomson Corporation and Thomson ELT
The Thomson Corporation the Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC),
with 2004 revenues of $8.10 billion, is a global leader in providing
integrated information solutions to business and professional customers.
Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to
more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial
services, higher education, reference information, corporate e-learning and
assessment, scientific research and healthcare. With operational headquarters
in Stamford, Conn., Thomson has approximately 40,000 employees and provides
services in approximately 130 countries. Thomson ELT is a leading provider of
materials for English language teaching and learning throughout the world. It
publishes under the brands of Thomson, Thomson ELT, and Thomson Heinle. You
can learn more about ELT Advantage and Thomson ELT by visiting us on the web
at http://elt.thomson.com.

SOURCE Thomson Learning
Web Site: http://elt.thomson.com

Powerful, Intuitive, and Easy-To-Use Language Tool Features Authentic, Human Chinese Voice Pronunciation and Pinyin (Chinese Phonetic) Displays
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — (MARKET WIRE) — 02/15/2006 — BBKUSA, a division of BBK Educational Electronics Co., today announced its new AM99 handheld electronic English/Chinese talking dictionary. The AM99 is available today for $99.99 at www.bbkusa.com.

The AM99 was designed to efficiently help English speakers learn to understand and speak Chinese. It provides accurate translation and authentic pronunciation in both Mandarin and American English — featuring a friendly pre-recorded human voice. The dictionary also provides Pinyin (Chinese phonetic) displays along with the Chinese characters. It features bi-directional English/Chinese dictionaries, idiom dictionaries, comprehensive grouped vocabulary, and common dialogue phrases for many situations. In addition, it offers five specialty dictionaries for biology, computers, business, medicine, and Chinese medicine. The AM99 also provides supplemental information to help users increase familiarity with Chinese expressions and day-to-day conversation, including examples, illustrations, phrases, usage, patterns, and antonyms.

“Business, education, and tourism industries between the United States and the ‘Greater China’ region are at its highest levels in history,” said Jin Pi at BBKUSA. “Chinese is an important language in the global economy. We invested two years of research, design, and voice recording to add a ‘human touch,’ which expedites the confidence and ability for business professionals, students, and tourists to learn and speak Chinese.”

The pocket-size AM99 features an easy-to-read LCD screen, QWERTY keyboard, and built-in speaker. The user interface and user manual are provided in English. Also, included in its package are a Daily Conversational Chinese book to help ease the learning process, travel case to protect the AM99, and headphones to learn in privacy.

ABOUT BBK ELECTRONICS CORP., Ltd.

BBK Electronics Corp., Ltd. is an award-winning, ISO9001 certified consumer electronics manufacturer dedicated to enriching people’s digital lifestyles with technology and innovation. With three state-of-the-art factories in Guangdong, China, and many distribution and service centers around the world, the BBK network employs a global workforce of more than 15,000 people.

BBK Educational Electronics Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of BBK Electronics Corp., Ltd. The company develops innovative electronic products to make learning easy and fun. Its product lines include electronic dictionaries, portable recorders, and interactive pen-based books.

source: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=109948

Consumer Alert - Medicare Scam Artists
Medicare Recipients: Beware of Scam Artists Selling Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

Medicare Recipients: Beware of Scam Artists Selling Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

The federal government has started a new Medicare Prescription Drug coverage benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. Private insurance companies, whose plans have been approved by Medicare, are selling these new Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (also called PDPs). Enrollment for the program, which began on January 1st, is underway. Insurance agents are selling this product to Medicare beneficiaries. There are millions of people on Medicare eligible for the program and there is a lot of sales activity going on between now and May 15 (the end of the open enrollment period). We are concerned that scam artists will try to take advantage of the situation and try to steal your money.

Here are some tips to avoid becoming the victim of a scam artist:

Beware of door-to-door salesmen. Agents cannot solicit business at your home without an appointment. Don’t let them into your home.
Check with your state’s insurance department (available through http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm) to make sure the salesman is licensed as an agent.
Do not give out personal information, such as Social Security, bank account numbers or credit card numbers to anyone you have not verified is a licensed agent. People are not allowed to request such personal information in their marketing activities and cannot ask for payment over the internet.* They must send you a bill. Once you decide to purchase a plan and have verified that the agent is licensed, you may give the agent personal information to assist in enrollment and billing.
Verify that the plan is an approved Medicare plan. All of the approved plans are available at www.medicare.gov or you can call 1-800-MEDICARE.
If you suspect fraud, call the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (contact information available through http://www.medicare.gov/contacts/static/allStateContacts.asp) if you have any questions at all.
To avoid being a victim, verify before you buy.

Xinhua - English
Spanish academy to compile new historical dictionary

www.chinaview.cn 2006-01-05 09:32:26

MADRID, Jan. 4 (Xinhuanet) — The Spanish Royal Academy will begin later this month to work on a new historical dictionary that will rewrite meanings of more than 120,000 entries, the project’s director told reporters on Wednesday.

Jose Antonio Pascual, co-author with Joan Corominas of the famous Critical Dictionary of Castillian Spanish, said during the first days of January he would start picking 20 experts to help with the project.

The academy will work with language academies in a range of Spanish-speaking countries, said Pascual.

“This work is inconceivable without their help,” Pascual said. “It has to include the development of Spanish in the Americas.”

The new dictionary will have 12 volumes and will also be available on the Internet. The Spanish government will provide 1.4 million U.S. dollars each year for the project.

Pascual said it would help readers understand when certain words fall out of use while others come into being and also to understand how synonyms have evolved.

The project will make use of the academy’s database, especially the Corpus Diachronico del Espanol, a large database showing the evolution of the Spanish language. The writers will use around 50 million data elements to carry out their work. Enditem

Dictionaries add new words. (No dawgs allowed.)

Two readers speak up with requests for more online dictionaries that audibly pronounce words — following up on a reader question in the Dec. 22 Web Search.
Q I read the article in this morning’s Star Tribune about online dictionaries that pronounce the word. Are you aware of an online biographical dictionary that provides this service for the correct way to pronounce someone’s name — the names of popular authors such as Lisa Scottoline and Annie Proulx, for example? Now, the only way to know is to hear them interviewed on a talk show.
AL DOLLERSCHELL, ROCHESTER, MINN.
A Two of the sites I mentioned in that Web Search — the Free Dictionary (www.thefreedictionary.com), which uses American Heritage, and Merriam-Webster (www.m-w.com) — have many biographical entries for famous people. They include audio pronunciation for the surname. Just click on the speaker icon next to the name.
I used two conductors’ names as tests for accuracy: Leonard Bernstein (BERN-stine) and Leopold Stokowski (stuh-KOFF-skee). They had correct pronunciations for Stokowski. But while Merriam-Webster had Bernstein right, the Free Dictionary offered the common mispronunciation BERN-steen.
Unfortunately, both online dictionaries mainly have entries for historical figures, not bestselling authors or other current celebrities. I have been unable to find a comprehensive biographical dictionary online that contains your sample names and audio pronunciations. If any readers know of one, please send an e-mail.
Meanwhile,%2