Citizens of the USA seem to have trouble learning foreign languages. If you venture through Europe, you’ll have a tough time finding denizens who don’t speak English and French and German, etc. Such an achievement seems beyond the abilities of most fans of the red, white and blue. Fortunately, the thoughtful creators of the Pocketalk step in to save us from our failures.

Essentially the sort of translator device you might’ve seen in Star Trek, the Pocketalk acts as an audio/visual go-between for folks at odds with language. Once the user sets what language is going in and which needs to come out, he or she need only speak into the device for it to reproduce that speech in easily readable text for all to read in the local tongue.

For $300, the Pocketalk arrives with an international sim card enabling use across the world. It can tackle 74 languages and packs a rechargeable battery to keep it all working on the road. pocketalk.net