Google Translate

I found a cool beta site today: Google Translate

This is a handy page to translate web content including entire web pages into your native language.  I believe they have 23 languages to choose from, along with a “language detector” in case you come across something that you don’t easily recognize.  It’s been helpful for us over here when viewing German-only websites.

Movie Review – Wall-E (*****)

Took the family to see Wall-E, the latest offering from the Disney/Pixar’s team.  In short, these guys have done it again.  Great story centered around the life of two robots who “fall in love.”  This flick is full of imagination and is laced with humor and overt eco-warnings concerning overpopulation and the importance of recycling efforts.  Adults won’t miss the not-so subtle, indirect reference to a futuristic Wal-Mart in Wall-E world’s fictitious Megacorporation, “Buy N Large.”  The animation is exceptional and it was an absolute hit with the kids.  Don’t miss Pixar’s latest animated short, “Presto” at the beginning of the film.  It was hilarious.  Overall, 5 stars for some great family entertainment.

“Cell Phones” in Germany

Here’s a quick overview of German Cell Phones from an expat’s perspective…

There are a couple different options when it comes to “cell phones” here in Germany.  The 2 major carrier options in this area are Vodafone and T-Mobile.   I chose Vodafone and it seems to be working out well, though I’m sure that most T-Mobile users are just as satisfied with their service.  Similar to what is offered in the States, you can purchase a 1yr or 2yr phone contract with a new phone here or you can opt for a slightly more expensive (or not depending on what deals the company may be running) pre-paid phone and then pay-as-you-go.  I believe that these pay-as-you-go phones are more popular, at least in my circle of friends and associates because you’re only paying for what you actually use vs a set monthly fee for unlimited use.  This of course is dependent upon how many minutes you actually use.  I’m a rather infrequent caller so the pre-paid deal works best for me.

One benefit is that you can add minutes to your phone from any Vodafone kiosk.  They seem to be everywhere and there are several in our village alone. There you can add 5, 10, or 25 Euro increments to your phone whenever you need it.

The billing structure is different from most stateside companies as well.  With the pre-paid phone you don’t get charged for incoming calls…only for calls that you make.  The charge for most calls within Germany is .29 for the first minute for a call you make and the rest of the call is free, regardless of the duration.  Calls to the states can get a bit pricey though at 79 cents/minute.  For stateside calls we’re using Vonage…which I think is another small miracle from the Techno-Gods.  More on the wonders of Vonage in a future post.  For now, my ‘cell phone’ and service are meeting my personal needs for local calls within Germany.