babelfish
Latest
Earbud translators will bring us closer: The Future IRL
The moment Google Pixel Buds were used earlier this month to demonstrate real time translation from Swedish to English, people started freaking out about potential use cases for this kind of technology. But the thing is, Google isn't the only company taking this on.
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.
DARPA BOLT initiative wants real-time spoken translation, Douglas Adams' ghost says it's about time
Thanks to online tools like Google Translate we're now able to communicate with people in nearly any language -- maybe not perfectly, but well enough to get the general idea across, and livened up by the occasional humorous mistranslation. Now DARPA wants that done wholesale and with military precision, launching the BOLT initiative. That stands for Boundless Operational Language Translation, and DARPA is giving interested parties until May 19th of this year to submit proposals for how they'll manage to achieve the department's lofty goals, which include written and spoken translation into English of "multiple languages." If you're thinking of competing you can find all the details at the source link, though curiously you won't find a single Vorgon dialect mentioned.
The Professor: Victorian heat sinks, new spacecraft, alien-language translators
The Professor rounds up a handful of interesting and informative gadget-related science stories from the week and presents them in an easily digestible liquid form. Having trouble keeping your fingers, thumbs, or eyeballs on the pulse of modern science? Do you find yourself in the throes of panic due to misunderstandings in molecular goings-on? Did the latest aircar, split atom, or robotic insectoid go buzzing over your head before you had time to ready a response? Don't worry friends, The Professor is here to help. Though not an actual scientist, professor, or even a college graduate, he can help guide you through the cascading, complicated, and spasmodic visionary vistas of human invention and achievement as smoothly as a hot knife descending into softened butter.
Widget Watch: Web Translator 2.0
Web Translator is a widget that allows you to translate a web page or text using either Google's Translation service or AltaVista's Babel Fish service. Usage is pretty simple: enter a URL or text, chose the languages and off you go.This widget seems like a nice addition to Apple's built-in translation widget which only does text.
