This console is a mine of information, putting the Oxford Dictionaries of English, Quotations and Modern Slang, along with the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Oxford Thesaurus of English and Fowler's Modern English Usage into a pocket sized unit.

Here I am looking at a rather nice first telescope that comes complete with a fabric bag to carry it around, sort of edutainment. Second sometime that is high on the government agenda recycling and a Paper Recycling product.

The Franklin 12 Language speaking global translator is a small easy to carry tool for those who want to travel extensively and lightly. It comes with lots of other handy features including calculator, MP3 player, currency converter and address book - so may be the only gadgetry you need to carry with you.

Leapfrog have long been in the world of teaching kids to read. Here they use some of the latest page reading technology with their Tag system to make reading interactive and fun. The Leapfrog Tag Reading System is one of the Dream Toys 2008 top 12 pre-school winners.

If you love the type of games and brain teasers you get in newspapers, but can't be bothered with all the high- tech fast paced video games, then this could be the games console for you.

Normally you would get my opinion as an experienced computer user but a very basic musician. Here something different the view of a very experienced musician but almost a computer novice.

Ever wondered if mind mapping techniques can help you get better organised at work or at home? We review two fo the leading products.

My first experience of touch typing was way back at school at the behest of our computer science teacher insisting that in order to write software one must know the correct way to type. The three students on our A level course were duly enrolled into a 6 week course with those studying secretarial skills.

My school days were an awful long time ago and almost the only thing I remember about French is that the teacher had the most terrible case of halitosis I have ever come across.

Ever wondered what a brain trainer has to offer you, then this article will help you find the best trainer for you.

Autumn must be here as the round of ‘08’ releases start to rear their heads, the first this year goes to Britannica, certainly one up on Encarta that as yet I have not even heard whispers about.

Whenever you feel competent with a software application, the developers come up with a new version and the learning process starts again. PC Tutor offers to help.

Rosetta Stone present an entirely new way to learn a new language, modelled closely on how children learn their native tongue.For some of us learning a new language is easy, for others tortuous. However, we over look the fact that we all learnt our native language without a textbook or translator in sight. Usually by about the age of 5 we have a large command of our mother tongue and a vast vocabulary without ever knowing about verbs, nouns, pronouns and tenses. Somehow we just get it. And that's the whole theory behind Rosetta Stone's language course.

This PC Tutor package comes on four CD’s and takes you from the absolute beginning along a journey to understanding Microsoft Vista as well a Microsoft Office.

With children learning to type at school I fear the market for typing tutors have reduced greatly and perhaps only those 30 plus today still have need of this tool.

I reviewed another product in the same series from Focus five weeks ago ‘Secrets of the Mind’. That I seem to remember came of two CD’s this comes on one, does this mean we know more about the mind than the universe?

This product has the kiss of death attached to it by being called Educational. A few years ago there was a movement to call such things Edutainment, that, also seems to be no more.

This package from Focus come on no less than five CD’s and contains four different but connected products. The connection is knowledge, two from Britannica and one each from Oxford and Penguin Hutchinson.

It’s been a while since I have reviewed an educational product. This one is from Focus, it has some great maps with views from space and satellites but the info is the king.

Not really toys but they both came from Dream Toys. I can see these being useful for anyone who tends to find their mind can’t function as quickly as it used to. Of course it can help children as well but how will you bribe them to use it? Still what better products to cure those New Year hangovers.