One could argue that vending machines in schools that dispense candy and chips are one of the causes for the rising obesity epidemic. Horizon Software aims to combat that by offering the smart-enabled vending machine, enabling parents to track online what snacks their kids have purchased from the vending machine as well as the types of food they indulge in. Kids won’t be able to make a purchase unless they key in their PIN number or use a prepaid card, where both are tracked via www.mealpayplus.com. I suppose kids could still use their allowance and sneak in a Snickers bar or two from a nearby convenience store.

Traveling in exotic countries can be quite an experience as you check out the local hotties. Unfortunately, language is a formidable barrier as you attempt to know another person, and body language can only do so much. Carrying a phrase book around will definitely hurt your street cred, so the next best thing would be downloading the Echo Translator application onto your cellphone. Boasting proprietary Phraselogic technology, the Echo Translator inputs words and phrases which result in a coherent sentence after some processing. The Echo Translator currently supports 25 languages and works with Java-enabled and Windows Mobile devices.

Having trouble trying to nod off at night? The TwiLight Ultra Blue Light Sleep Therapy System from Verilux aims to send you to dreamland faster than Mr. Sandman himself, using technology based on NASA research. The blue light emitted from the device is said to provide a really soothing environment, and when used in the morning, it also works effectively in regulating the other side of your Circadian rhythm. Flicker-free illumination that puts you to sleep the natural way will set you back by $89.95. That’s a pretty small price to pay if you’ve been an insomniac for umpteen years.

Are you ever sitting at your computer and suddenly realize you want to send someone a text message and then realize your cell phone is hidden in your purse in the other room? The Bluetooth Texter widget allows Mac users with Bluetooth set ups to connect to their Bluetooth phone and and send SMS messages.

All you have to do is activate your Dashboard, enter your message in the widget, select a phone number and hit send. The phone numbers in the widget’s drop-down list come straight from your address book. The phone selection list contains your favorite paired Bluetooth phones. You can download it from Happymaking Games.

Chikka Messenger allows PC and Mac users to send text messages for free, 2-way message with friends online as well as mobile phone subscribers, send and receive MMS images and add and chat with Google talk buddies. Download Chikka from its official website.

The concept SLIQ Phone by Samsung is all about sleek. It features a touch interface (think iPhone) which eliminates the conventional keypad making the overall usage experience a highly tactile one. It has a wide LCD screen that supposedly maximizes visual impact, allowing the user to benefit from several key features of the phone, including the 2 megapixel camera featuring Schneider-Kreuznach lens, video player and document viewer capacity.

The phone is amazingly thin (reportedly 10 mm), but it still touts an MP3 player and a music multitasking function for messaging. It also has an external memory slot, allowing the user to increase memory capacity for images, music and film clips.