Hello friends!

We’re the Ostmo family, and we love learning about countries and people. Our oldest daughter, Melaya, has tons of friends all around the world! Today we’re going to learn some new words about some of the latest and modern gadgets, and how they can help us in our day by day.

Tola’s dad came across a new gadget and wanted to try it out

In London, we’re always on the lookout for the latest gadgets. We love to try out new technology, so we were very excited when our friend Tola showed her new gadget to Melaya the last time they spoke.

For Tola’s dad sometimes it’s very hard to get modern gadgets in Haiti since they live far away from the city but thanks to his hard work Tola’s dad found a new gadget that he wanted to try out: A tablet for kids.

This new tablet can be used to play games, watch videos, and read books. It’s user-friendly for children: it has no buttons that need to be pressed, and all you need is your voice! Before going any further in case you don’t know what’s user-friendly means, it’s when something is easy to use. The tablet comes with a stylus and a cover that protects the screen so that no one can break it accidentally while playing with it.

Tola’s dad wanted to give her a new tablet for reading so she can learn more about the world and all of its wonders. Tola told Melaya that she didn’t like books that much before, but it was only after a while that she started to like them. She now loves reading on her tablet since there are many interesting books and stories in it about animals, food, and other countries.

Melaya thinks that tablets can help children learn how to read and write better.

Have you ever used a tablet to learn something new?

Through some modern gadgets, we can communicate with people who do not speak our language

Now, Melaya has a friend named Jose. He’s from Paraguay which many tourists visit every year. Jose’s big sister works as a tourist guide and she takes her clients to see the best places in Paraguay but sometimes they don’t speak Paraguay’s main language, which is Spanish. Uh oh, that’s a problem.

But thanks to the many modern gadgets in her job, all employees can use portable interpreters. Jose thinks this is a great idea because it helps his sister do her job better.

The portable interpreter is very useful and versatile. Something versatile is a thing that can be used in many different ways. It can be used to translate your speech into another language or even let you hear what someone else is saying in a different language. You can even use it to learn new words and phrases that you don’t know. This device has many applications in different areas of life. You can use it in school, or even when traveling, but Jose’s sister uses this modern gadget mostly for work.

This next gadget is probably the most common one in any home

This next modern gadget is probably the most common gadget you’ll find in any household. It is the wi-fi modem but let’s see how it works in Nigeria thanks to Dola a friend of Melaya.

Dola said to her that sometimes it’s very hard to have a wi-fi connection in Nigeria, but with this device, you can have a wi-fi connection anywhere in the country. The modem is very useful for people who live far from big cities or towns because it also allows them to have internet access on their phones and other devices.

Dola’s father works at an Internet company in Nigeria and she said to Melaya that they are working on a modem that can work in areas where there is no electricity. It could have batteries that can be charged using solar power or by plugging it into any wall socket.

Pretty awesome right? 

Noa can’t wait to get his hands on a modern VR headset

But not as awesome as this: a VR headset that can be used to watch movies, play video games, and more. You can find them anywhere but let’s hear it from Noa’s perspective, more than 2,000 miles away in Israel.

Noa said to Melaya that he wants a VR headset for Christmas so he can play video games but his dad told him that he’s going to wait until next month so they can get the most up-to-date version.

Noa has seen VR headsets everywhere in Israel and he wants one too because these headsets have lenses for each eye so you feel like you’re actually inside the game or movie that you’re watching.

He said to Melaya that he doesn’t want to wait until next month because they’re so cool! Melaya told him that she thinks it would be better if he waits because then he’ll get a newer and cooler model as his dad said.

Now, there’s one last modern gadget to talk about before we go and it’s pretty easy to find from where Marc is, Monaco.

Marc’s mom has a brand new smartwatch

Monaco is a city in the south of France and it is known for being one of the most expensive cities in the world. Marc told Melaya his mom just bought a brand new smartwatch. But this is not just any smartwatch. It’s a luxury smartwatch from Richemont, one of the biggest watch brands in the world. Marc said his mom’s new watch has all kinds of features, including Bluetooth, so she can listen to music on her phone through it; a microphone so she can make and receive calls; a heart rate monitor so she knows how fast her heart is beating; GPS so she can track where she goes with Google Maps; and even an altimeter that tells her how high up in elevation she is.

Marc said his mom can also use the watch to pay for things with her mobile bank account, and even tell her how many steps she’s taken each day!

This new watch is really convenient because she can use it to listen to music and make calls without having to take her phone with her wherever she goes. 

Like Marc, Melaya is pretty used to technology nowadays and she says she would like to interact with other modern gadgets like the newest portable videogame console or one of those folding smartphones. Tell us in the comments what your favorite modern gadgets are! If you want to learn more about different modern gadgets, make sure to download the activity pack. We have flashcards, a learning guide, handwriting sheets, and drawings pages all dedicated to modern gadgets!

Also, Melaya loves chatting with kids from all over the world! If you want to teach Melaya about where you live or your favorite activities, please tell your mom or dad to use @learningtail on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to get in touch with us. 
Ciao friends, until next time!