universaltranslator
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Amazon reportedly wants Alexa to be a real-time, universal translator
We've been dreaming of universal translators throughout the history of science fiction; Star Trek has only popularized the concept. As computing power and AI improves in real life, we're seeing the possibility of an actual real-time translation system become more of a reality. Products like Samsung's Bixby and Google's Pixel Buds and Assistant are early examples of the technology. Now, according to a report at Yahoo Finance, Amazon is looking to turn its ubiquitous Alexa digital assistant into a real-time universal language translator.
Don't Panic: Google has prototypes for 'real-time' translation device, 'near perfect' in some uses
It sounds like Google's Babel fish-esque instant translation solution is making progress -- Android VP Hugo Barra told The UK Times that Google's got hardware prototypes (in the form of mobile phones) already working. Moreover, in a recent test he took part in, the system was "near-perfect" with certain language combinations (English to Portuguese is specifically cited). The biggest barrier, beyond the translation itself, is speech recognition. In so many words, background noise interferes with the translation software, thus affecting results. But Barra said it works "close to 100 percent" when used in "controlled environments." Sounds perfect for diplomats, not so much for real-world conversations. Of course, Google's non-real-time, text-based translation software built into Chrome leaves quite a bit to be desired, making us all the more wary of putting our faith into Google's verbal solution. As the functionality is still "several years away," though, there's still plenty of time to convert us.
VoxOx Universal Translator makes multilingual communication a breeze
Despite being launched at Mobile World Congress, VoxOx has yet to make a mobile version of its Universal Translator. That said, the desktop version is still quite useful for those with Windows or OS X-based rigs who attempt to communicate with friends -- particularly with friends who speak a different native language. The new software build enables real-time language translation for SMS chat, social media and email, and so long as the VoxOx client is pulled up, you can send and receive any of those messages in your own tongue while receiving translated messages in return. Granted, we get the idea that some phrases will be quite literally lost in translation, but this sure beats accessing Google's Language Tools for each questionable phrase. Hit the download link below to grab a copy, and head on past the break for a video demonstration of what's on offer.
