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Microsoft updates Bing Translator for Windows Phone with offline features (video)
Never again will Windows Phone owners worry about ordering raw beef in Spain without first knowing what'll arrive on their plate. That's because the crew at Microsoft have updated the Bing Translator app, which is available for free in the Marketplace. It now allows users to point their cameras at otherwise unintelligible text and then view a proper translation as an overlay on the photograph. As another nifty trick, Bing Translate allows users to speak phrases into their phone, which will then be audibly translated into a foreign language of choice. Most impressive, however, is the app's new offline capabilities, which can be enabled with the simple download of a language pack. Bing Translator supports English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Chinese Simplified, and if you'd like a peek into its functionality, just hop the break for the video.
Twitter brings support for right-to-left languages: volunteers by done localization
Twitter's now available in Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew and Urdu, with the task of translating the likes of the retweet button, list classifications and the fail whale largely done by a task force of volunteers. The languages were added to Twitter's translation to-do list back in January, with around 13,000 helpers getting the job done since then. You can change your settings to one of the newly supported languages in the drop-down account menu, while Twitter continues to plug more linguistic holes at its translation center -- interested polyglots can consult the second source below.
Raytheon shows off TransTalk speech translator for Android, hopes to find a home in the Army's app store
We've already heard about some of the smartphone apps that may or may not eventually find their way into the Army's own app store, and Raytheon is now hoping that it'll be tapped it to provide a key one. As Wired's Danger Room reports, the company has developed a new version of its TransTalk app for Android phones, which is able to translate speech from English to Arabic, Dari and Pashto (and vice versa). Since it's designed specifically for the Army, the app is geared towards translating phrases commonly used by soldiers on patrol, and it's also able to display and store the conversation as text. Just don't count on it hitting the Android Market anytime soon -- while the app runs on off-the-shelf Android hardware (a Motorola Atrix, in this case), there's no plans for it to be made available to the general public.
Word Lens augmented reality app instantly translates whatever you point it at
Augmented reality and optical character recognition have just come into their own, beautifully intertwined into an instant translation app for the iPhone. Download Word Lens, pay $4.99 for a language pack, then point it at a sign and watch as it replaces every word with one in your native tongue. It's a little bit like Pleco, but without the whole language learning stuff. We just gave it a spin, and while it's not quite as accurate as this video claims, it's still breathtaking to behold -- especially as it doesn't require an internet connection to do any lookup. Sadly, it only translates to and from English and Spanish for now. Still, Babelfish, eat your heart out. Update: Looks like it only works on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and the latest iPod touch for now.
Pleco Chinese Dictionary iPhone app now handling real-time image translations
Talk about timely. We've been waiting for months (with bated breath, might we add) for Pleco 2.2 to finally hit Apple's App Store, and after dealing with a few launch day bugs last week, we can finally say it's out and ready to dominate any Chinese homework you've been hastily procrastinating on. The Pleco Chinese Dictionary is now available in the app store at version 2.2.1, supporting both fullscreen handwriting input and live camera-based character recognition. Have a peek at the video past the break if you're still curious as to what this app can do for you, and feel free to toss your experiences with it down in comments below. Here's hoping this is only the first of many languages Pleco decides to tackle -- not that we're much on tossing out subtle hints.
Pleco 2.2 Chinese Dictionary uses iPhone camera to translate text in real time (video)
Can't say we've heard of the Pleco Chinese Dictionary app prior to today even though it's been around for two full version releases. Of course, we've seen plenty of Google Goggle-like smartphone apps that can snap pictures and then convert the image to text using optical character recognition (OCR) -- something that can be incredibly useful when important stacks of business cards. Pleco 2.2, however, is one of the first apps we've seen that can translate text in real time using the live image presented on your phone's camera display. The new feature, targeted for release in September, requires iOS 4 and should work with either the iPhone 4 or older 3GS. Sure, you might not need this app every day, but it might just be the difference between ordering chop suey or a thousand-year old egg garnished with a side of stinky tofu. See it in action after the break.
DARPA and NIST testing real-time translation system for use in Afghanistan... with a Nexus One
DARPA has long been working on making real-time translation systems practical and portable, and it looks like it's now closer than ever to its goal -- although it can't necessarily take all the credit. The research agency recently teamed up with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (or NIST) to test three different systems as part of its TRANSTAC project, at least one of which relies on none other than a Nexus One to do real-time, spoken language translation from Pashto to English, and vice versa. Of course, specific details on the translation systems are otherwise a bit hard to come by, but NIST is more than happy to draw a few Star Trek comparisons in its demonstration video -- check it out after the break.
Google working on voice translator phone, redefining synergy
Okay, so Google has this expansive online translation service, which we all know, use, and sometimes even love. Google also has its own branded phone, with a voice recognition function that we frankly adore. So what's a brave new age company with bottomless pockets to do but try to splice the two together into some kind of omnilingual instant translator? Speech-to-speech translation -- long the exclusive plaything of fanciful sci-fi writers -- is said by Franz Och, Google's head of translation services, to be a viable possibility within a measly couple of years. The Mountain View approach to overcoming the inherent problems of variable pitch, tone and accents in speech will be to use each person's phone to accrue data on his or her linguistic idiosyncrasies, so that the more the phone's voice recognition is used, the more accurate it becomes. Sounds tres bien to us.
AirScript translator beams live theater subtitles over the air
If you ask us, one of the best things about London is its theater scene. Turns out, however, that not every person who appreciates good theatre speaks the Queen's English -- we know, it's shocking to us as well. To serve those unenlightened souls, a new AirScript wireless translation gadget is being trialed at the Shaftesbury in central Londonium. Designed by Show Translations and built by Cambridge Consultants, it combines a simple WiFi-enabled device with an LED-backlit screen and a dude in the background who feeds live subtitles over the air. The pleasure of said dude's services will be a steep £6 ($10), which you might scoff at now, but imagine yourself attending a show in Tokyo or Beijing and suddenly the price becomes a lot more justifiable. Eight languages are available so far (American English is presumably still in the works), with translations done by professionals rather than machines, and all that remains now is to see whether this multilingual birdie flies or flounders.
Nomenta Industries intros Trinvo talking translator
It may not offer real-time translation, but Nomenta Industries's new Trinvo talking translator looks like it should get the job done nonetheless, with it boasting cross-translation of no less than twelve languages (no word as to which ones). You'll also get a 2,500 word dictionary, 750 commonly used sentences, sightseeing information, and some handy features like metric conversions and a likely not-entirely-up-date currency converter, not to mention some unspecified games. No word on a price or release, but we're guessing it's got to be quite a bit cheaper than some of the other suped-up translators we've seen.
NEC develops real-time Japanese-to-English mobile translation software
We've already seen the idea of data-to-voice translation passed around, but NEC's latest software is far beyond the drawing board. Reportedly, the firm has developed a system that can understand around 50,000 Japanese words and translate them to English text on the mobile's display in just a second or two. The software was made compact enough to "operate on a small microchip mounted in a cellphone," and was designed especially to help users convert common travel phrases. Notably, it would be technically possible to make the English translation vocal, but according to NEC spokesman Mitsumasa Fukumoto, the firm isn't looking into that possibility at the moment. No word on when we'd see this technology hit the masses, nor if any other language combinations were in the works, but this would certainly make touring English-speaking locales a lot less strenuous for Japanese speakers.[Via Physorg]
Cool Gorilla iPhone talking phrasebook
Here's one for you globetrotting iPhone fans out there. The Cool Gorilla Talking Phrasebook is a nifty little iPhone site that offers a foreign language phrasebook in five European languages (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish). It presents you with cascading menus in various categories (travel, food & drink, etc.) to find the phrase you need. Then not only does it display the phrase ("Sprechen Sie Englisch?"), it also embeds an MP3 of a native speaker saying the phrase in the other language (at least so it sounded to me; I only tested the German one). In any case, this looks like it could be really convenient for travelers. Let me offer a word of warning, however. You'll probably only want to use this via wifi, as there's a story making the rounds about AT&T's outrageous international roaming fees.Thanks, Joe!
Sharp Papyrus PW-TC920 defines words, tunes TV
While it's not like we expect e-dictionaries to hop on the fast track of upgrades or anything, it's been way too long since Sharp's flagship Papyrus received any attention, but the day has finally come for a successor to take over. The PW-TC920 picks right up with a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, handwriting recognition pad, SD flash card slot, internal handwriting translation ability, and is offered in both red and black color schemes. The real kicker, however, is the 1Seg TV tuner that allows you to kick back and enjoy a television show in between study sessions, and the headphone out jack ensures that the crowd around you won't become annoyed with your antics. Unfortunately, there's no word yet surrounding a future price or release date, but hey, school's out for the most of us anyway, right?[Via Electronista]
Currently unused component found in Wiimote
Before you go running off to troll post on various message boards, we'd like to give you some specifics. A recent CNN technology feature details some of the various chips and components found within the forty-dollar Wiimote. Among the Bluetooth converters and accelerometers is a component listed as an "audio translator," which "converts analog data such as human speech into a digital data stream. This feature is unused now but will probably be employed in future games." The approximate cost is listed at $2.00.So, what's the deal? First, there is no actual microphone (a device capable of converting vibrational energy into electrical signals) found within the Wiimote. Though basic electrical engineering principals allow a standard speaker to act in such a fashion, the signal quality and frequency response would be unacceptably low. This chip actually requires an expansion device for it to be used at all. So why add it? It's only two dollars, but this rather unnecessary addition has cost the company several dozen million dollars. We can only assume that Nintendo or significant third parties are planning a title utilizing an expansion microphone, which will be presumably cheap enough to bundle with a title and incur no markup in price.God knows the masses need a mainstream karaoke game (we know about Karaoke Revolution for the PS2, but it never really took off), and the Wii is just the system to do it. Like a Virginnnnn ... hey!
More English Training helps you order a cheeseburger
The sequel to English Training: Have Fun Improving Your Skills -- also known as Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Eigo Zuke in Japan -- has a new commercial demonstrating its usefulness. The television spot shows a Japanese woman attempting to order lunch at an American fast food restaurant, only to find her effort stymied by the language barrier. The resulting burger is enough to leave everyone's mouths agape.Set to hit Japanese stores later this week, More English Training is filled to the brim with over 400 "conversation situations" that will help users with everyday tasks like phone calls and customer/clerk dialogue. As the non-game's lighthearted commercial can attest, a little training can go a long way in making sure that your cheeseburger doesn't have any avocado in it.
Dictionaries galore: Seiko and Franklin's DB-J990, Canon's V300 and M300
Back when we were students, the only things our dictionaries could do were weigh down our backpacks and act as a home base during kickball. It's no secret that, like everything else, the Japanese have had better study aid options. Now not one, but three manufacturers announced new additions to their respective mega-dictionary handhelds: Seiko in conjunction with Franklin, and Canon. First up is Seiko's and Franklin's SII by Franklin DB-J990 which defies category conventions and opts for a slider design reminiscent of the Vaio UX rather than the usual clamshell. In addition to MP3 audio playback and support for common eBook formats, RSS, Word, and Powerpoint, it contains ten dictionaries, including The Princeton Review's "Cracking the TOEIC" test preparation, and boasts full PC connectivity, allowing users to access and manipulate all the information on their handheld from their computer (for instance, annotating words you're having difficulty with). Not to be outdone, Canon is offering a pair of dictionaries which also have MP3 playback: the Wordtank V300 ($471) and the Wordtank M300 ($386). Both devices have 38 reference guides in five subject areas, some with text-to-speech ensuring proper pronunciations. There is also a built-in voice recorder, so you can compare your articulation against the device's. The only differing factor between the two Wordtanks are in screen size and battery life: the V300 donning a 4.9-inch screen with 80 hours to the charge, versus the M300's 3.78-inch screen and 107 hours of life. Both Wordtanks should be available in Japan come February 2, and the DB-J990, which will retail for $295, will also be available in next month. For those not turned off by the usual not-for-the-U.S. disclaimer, you can peep pics of Canon's devices are after the break.[Via Akihabara News]Read - SII by Franklin DB-J990 Read - Canon Wordtank M300Read - Canon Wordtank V300
Franklin's 12-language speaking translator
As international jet-setters, we're always looking for tools that make it a little easier to hit on women discuss the latest gadgets with our foreign friends and colleagues. Usually we employ an electronic, translating dictionary for this task, but we always end up sounding like idiots as we futilely attempt to pronounce those crazy words they use in other languages. Well luckily for us, Franklin has just introduced a pocket translator that will put an end to our pathetic gibberish, as the new TGA-490 is actually able to speak aloud over 450,000 words and 12,000 phrases. What's more, you can forget about the old school machine-speak from back in the OK Computer days -- Franklin's device spits out human-sounding words recorded by real humans. All your favorite languages are supported here -- including Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean -- and you can translate back and forth among any of them, not just with English. Other nice touches include an MP3 player (of course), currency converter, world clock, alarm, and the ever-present voice recorder. No word yet on price or release, but when you begin to notice an uptick in the quality of our foreign-sourced posts, you'll know that the 490 has indeed hit store shelves.
Casio electronic dictionary / translator talks back, recognizes handwriting
While we English speaking folk may prefer our pocket translators to start in English and convert to some other foreign tongue, Casio's latest rendition helps those fluent in Japanese order tickets to the Space Needle, haggle at the Chevrolet dealership, and of course, pick up the correct ingredients for warm apple pie. Aimed at middle / high school students, the XD-SW4800 lineup of handheld dictionaries reportedly house the denotation and correct pronunciation for over "85,000 languages," which ironically enough, probably translates to "85,000 words" when not read through a broken translator. Nevertheless, these handy gizmos come in a variety of colors, and aside from supporting keyboard input, it can recognize stylus-written characters and toss back definitions while pronouncing the word to you via headphones. If America isn't your final destination, it also comes with five other major languages on CD that can be loaded on the 50MB of internal space or on your SD card if necessary, and while these things won't last forever, the approximate 60 to 130 hours of battery life should be more than enough to get you acclimated. So while you're waiting for your passport to show up, make sure you pick up Casio's latest travel necessity -- if you can manage the admittedly steep ¥47,250 ($394) to ¥52,500 ($437) price points, that is.[Via Impress]
Sharp's portable voice translator talks back at CEATEC
For those hopeless Americans (and Brits) who've found themselves perusing the spectacular isles of CEATEC without a clue of what's being said, Sharp is coming to the rescue. Unless you've had access to babelfish-enabled posters giving the decrypted skinny on all the new gear, you may get the feeling that your communication skills aren't exactly up to speed. Sharp's currently unnamed voice-to-voice translator allows for speech recognition and convenient audio translation so you can actually hear what you're supposed to say. The device sports a PDA-like enclosure, monochrome touchscreen, "music playback" functionality, "90 percent" accuracy (read: good enough to order food and a discounted Xbox 360), and a built-in robotic vocalist that belts out phrases in whatever language you command. The LCD also shows you sentences in both native and foreign tongue, but the prototype on display apparently only converts Japanese and English. While we aren't certain if this gizmo will hit shelves after its stint at CEATEC, it would sure make Ken Kutaragi's mind numbing keynotes a bit easier to understand in the future.
Meermio'l M'urgeglle Murnuglugrglee ("Spiffy Murloc Translator")
Yesterday Mulgrim on Khadgar sent a very nice letter to the Murlocs inviting them (pretty smoothly, I might add) to join the Horde and fight the evil Alliance. Nethaera (that Blue joker) made a joke that she couldn't wait to see a Murloc to English (and vice versa) translator.So of course Dark Legion on Chogall posted one today. Through the magic of "an Orb of Deception, a dozen Thorium Widgets and 2 gnomish engineers," they have finally broken the linguistic gap between those speaking English and our fishy, gurgling friends. In the words of the great Murloc Chieftain, "Mmuuuuil gurrrlle meerwembo'l gurrugl im'chule weutinl, gurrrlle werlgnuglinl mutermil im'chule mutrrglee meerugrlle." You can even go the other way, too, so if you haven't yet memorized Murloc (the language apparently has the same name as the race), you could put that back in and it would tell you what the Chief said in English.And I'm not sure about this (very not sure), but I bet we could even use this to figure out what the Murlocs are saying ingame! One question, though: Is "Aggugguauguguugh" spelled with six Us or seven?
