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Pocket's read-it-later service adds international flavor with six new languages
Despite how far the internet has come, it hasn't quite conquered the language barrier. The devs behind Pocket know this and have added new languages to hopefully make the delayed-reading app a bit easier to use if English isn't your native tongue. To wit, the application is now available in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Those languages account for some 22 percent of what its users speak and, according to the company, this is just the beginning of its expansion to a broader audience. Only time will tell if that'll include Klingons, though.
Listen to the 26 languages used in iOS 7s' text-to-speech feature
We recently stumbled across a post from Vocab Ninja which lists out the 32 text-to-speech voices Apple uses in iOS 7. From Arabic to Czech, and from Korean to Turkish, it's interesting to wade through all the different languages and see how iOS reads out "Luke, I am your father" in a variety of different tongues. All in all, iOS 7 supports 26 languages, though some are of course presented in varying dialects. For instance, there are several English dialects, including localized accents from Australia, South Africa, the UK, South Africa, Ireland, and the United States. Similarly, there are multiple dialects for Portuguese, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Dutch. Now in order to get your iOS device to read text to you, simply go to Settings > General > Accessibility. From there, tap on "Speak Selection" where you can then toggle the setting into the "On" position. Next, simply tap on "Voices" and you can pick the language of your choosing. As for actually listening to spoken text, once the setting is enabled you can select a passage of text -- in the same way you might select text to cut or copy -- and a new "Speak" option should present itself. It really is a helpful and great iOS feature that many folks simply aren't aware of.
Black Desert's English client is being worked on by Pearl Abyss
Are you eagerly anticipating a release of Black Desert in the west despite the lack of an official publisher or anything similar? There's good news to be had if you're one of the hopeful. Apparently an English client is being worked on by developer Pearl Abyss, reinforcing earlier statements by the company that success and release in the US is very important to the game's long-term viability. The preview screenshots for this client still aren't complete, but it's clear that the game is taking some serious steps towards localization for a non-Korean audience. A global simultaneous launch is unlikely, of course, but if the client is already localized that clears a major hurdle for the game's release prospects. It's not a deal with an existing publisher, but lately that may not have been so reassuring to fans after all. [Thanks to WNxArcticwolf for the tip!]
Google Doodle lauds computer programming pioneer Grace Hopper
If you're wondering what's up with today's Google Doodle, it's honoring Grace Hopper, the mathematician who pioneered the use of English-like programming languages. Prior to her work, computers were considered to be glorified calculators and were programmed with binary machine code, which kept the field limited to specialists. After working on computer tech used on the Manhattan Project during World War II, she developed the A-O system for the UNIVAC 1 in 1951, which is considered to be the first-ever computer compiler. That eventually formed the basis for COBOL, the first widely used English-like compiler that laid the foundation for most computer languages today. Hopper did further research for the Navy until the age of 79 (when she retired with the rank of rear admiral) and worked for DEC until she passed away in 1992 at the age of 85. As you can see in the video after the break, most of us should be so sharp now as she was at 80 with David Letterman.
Xbox One voice commands will only work fully in some launch countries, languages
Earlier this month Microsoft trimmed the list of countries where its Xbox One will launch to 13, and now it's revealed the new Kinect voice commands will only support all of its features in some of them. Pointed out by a thread on NeoGAF, a disclaimer on Xbox.com listed only a few countries with support for voice commands at launch. Since then, MS Director of Product Planning Albert Penello has responded with more details, explaining that, at launch the Xbox One will support eight languages / dialects: English (US), English (GB), French, Spanish (MX), Spanish (ES), Italian, German and Portuguese. That said, some voice features -- like the "Xbox On" command -- will not be available everywhere at the start, with only the US, UK, Canada, France, and Germany set to receive them out of the gate. As Penello explains it, users will select their language first, and then get a list of countries it's supported in. Confused? A more thorough explanation is coming to the Xbox website at some point, and Kinect's supported languages are expected to grow with updates after the system launches -- whenever that launch is.
Duolingo brings its language-learning app to the iPad
Duolingo takes a fun approach to language learning. It gamifies the process by breaking down lessons into digestible chunks and rewarding you for your progress. Starting today, you can enjoy the app on your iPad as well as your iPhone. Duolingo requires an account to keep track of your achievements and progress. You can log in with a unique username / password combination or choose to sign in with Facebook. Once you log in, you can choose the language or languages that you wish to learn. The app ships with learning modules for Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian and English. The app starts off with the basics, mainly simple words and sentences. It then gradually moves into more difficult content like phrases, plurals and vocabulary. It's designed to be used in small bursts so you can take as little as 15 minutes each day to start learning a new language. Duolingo launched as a web app and then added an iPhone app. This latest version adds the iPad to the mix, allowing you to spread your learning across your devices. Your progress across all three platforms is synced so you can complete a lesson on your iPad and start in on the next lesson on your Mac. Duolingo is for the person who wants to learn a language, but struggles to sit through long, dry courses. Duolingo is quite the opposite of your typical language course -- it's interactive, enjoyable and doesn't require a big block of time. It'll teach you the basics of a language, which you then can use as a springboard for more immersive studies. Best of all, Duolingo is available for free because it has a unique business model. As you progress through a course, you can start practicing your skills by translating documents. These documents are uploaded by companies and people who pay Duolingo for the translation. You get free instruction, companies get an affordable translation service and Duolingo makes enough money to keep innovating. You can check out the Duolingo app for free from the iOS App Store.
Google Drive now stores your stuff in 18 more languages
Although Google Drive has spread far and wide, its localization hasn't always kept pace. The service just took a few needed strides forward, however, with the addition of 18 new languages. Asia gets the most recognition with support for Hong Kong Chinese, Khmer, Lao, Malaysian, Nepali, Persian, Sinhalese and Urdu. Not that Google is neglecting other corners of the world, mind you: Africa is well covered with the additions of Afrikaans, Amharic, Swahili and Zulu, while Europeans get some TLC through support for Basque, Estonian, Galician and Icelandic. French Canadians and Spanish-speaking Latin Americans get localizations, too. Google Drive still isn't tuned for every language on Earth, but those with cloud storage in Cape Town or Kuala Lumpur should feel at home.
Google updates Gesture Search, now recognizes over 40 languages
Gesture lovers and polyglots rejoice! Yesterday, Google updated Gesture Search for Android phones and tablets, making it compatible with even more languages. The app provides quick access to music, contacts, applications, settings and bookmarks -- to name some -- by letting users simply draw characters on the screen. It now recognizes over 40 languages and even handles transliteration, which comes in handy in Chinese, for example, where some native characters require more strokes than their latin equivalents. Gesture Search started life as a Google Labs project back in March 2010 and received several tweaks over the years, including tablet support last fall. So go ahead: download the latest version from the Play Store and swipe away.
Klingons to invade Bing translator, bIjeghbe'chugh vaj bIHegh!
Though some may look down on Star Trek's fictional Klingon language and invoke the infamous phrase uttered by William Shatner -- "Get a life!" -- Microsoft's Bing translation team doesn't see it that way at all. As part of a marketing join-up with Paramount Pictures, the service will be offering translation of the fictional tongue to and from its other 41 languages to support the release of Star Trek Into Darkness. According to the LA Times, the translator was developed with the aid of Klingon-fluent Microsoft engineer Eric Andeen, who said that it's as much about the passion for linguistics as for Star Trek. Originally developed by a language specialist based on a few words ad-libbed in Star Trek: The Motion Picture by 'Scotty' actor James Doohan, Klingon has taken on a life of its own thanks to fans and sites who developed full dictionaries and on-line translators. The Bing project will fire up later today, so why not check it out at the More Coverage link? After all, ghojmeH ta'vaD He tu'be'lu'!
Google Translate Android app gets Phrasebook syncing, additional language support for visual translation
Google Translate's truly a wonder of modern technology, with the ability to translate 64 70 languages, whether they are written, spoken or even photographed. Today Google's made it easier than ever to remain mono-lingual when traveling abroad by updating the Translate app for Android with Phrasebook syncing. This new feature lets users save translations of often used phrases and have access to them on any and all of their devices. Additionally, support for 16 new languages for its camera translation feature comes with the new code as well. This means that tourists traveling to Barcelona, Croatia, Slovenia and thirteen other places in Scandinavia and eastern Europe need not pester the locals for help reading street signs to get around. They can be good guests and offer to buy them a beer in their native tongue instead.
Twitter updates its OS X client
Twitter has updated its Twitter for Mac client, and you can see all of the new changes on the official company blog. The biggest update is that you now get a camera icon when you're composing a tweet, which makes it easier than ever to share pictures straight from your desktop (other Twitter clients have had this for a while, and you could always drag pictures over, but this is a clearer way to do this anyway). The app has also added Retina display support, which is nice, and there are now 14 more languages: Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese and Turkish. As always, the app is available for free directly from the Mac App Store. Twitter says to keep an eye out for more changes as well, so it's working hard on providing even more updates to the OS X app.
Google Translate on Android gains offline support for thrifty globetrotters
Travelers face a dilemma: they'll often leave a phone in airplane mode to avoid expensive roaming rates or a foreign SIM, but staying offline can break the translation services that might prove vital in a strange land. Google must have heard their plight, as a new version of Google Translate on Android adds the option to download offline packs for 50 different languages. They aren't as full-featured as their cloud-based equivalents, although there's good reason for the trimmed dictionaries -- at least some packs are over 150MB each. Unless space is just too tight, however, anyone with at least Android 2.3 can ask dónde el baño es without risking some bill shock.
Swedish Language Council drops 'ungoogleable' from new word list after legal pressure from Google
The Swedish Language Council appeared on Google's radar when it wanted to add the term ungoogleable (in Swedish, ogooglebar -- yep) to a list of new words. The company didn't want the word nixed, but redefined to reference Google directly and not just any general search engine -- this was the initial meaning of the term. Lawyers got involved, but instead of battling in court, the Language council decided to drop the addition entirely, not due to the objection but to bring more input to the process and avoid any legal time (and money) being wasted. The head of the council, Ann Cederberg said that "it's our use that gives it meaning -- not a multinational company exerting pressure." For now, at least, it looks like the definition is headed in the same direction of the one-time home of the Swedish Chef translator.
Babbel acquires PlaySay in bid to bolster US language learning presence
Babbel's been doing a solid job of picking up users as it attempts to help people around the world learn new tongues over their lunch breaks, but evidently, it's not picking up steam in the US as well as it would like. The remedy? Buy the market share one so desires. Today, the company has announced the acquisition of San Francisco's own PlaySay -- a language learning company that has been tearing up every app store it approaches since launching at TechCrunch Disrupt in September of 2011. With that, however, comes some pretty unfortunate news for users. PlaySay apps are going to be yanked 45 days from now, with website visitors funneled over to Babbel's site. Moreover, we've confirmed that none of PlaySay's technologies will be integrated into Babbel's programs, and that only PlaySay's founder (Ryan Meinzer) will remain on staff as an "adviser." We've got nothing but love for Babbel's software, but what this means for consumers is simple: one less player in the space, and a dead-end for the technology that was developed in order to launch PlaySay. Of course, we aren't going to pretend that this type of thing doesn't happen all of the time, but alas....
Babbel brings 11 language learning apps to Windows Phone 8, for free
Yours truly has had some pretty positive experiences with Babbel's existing product line, with the latest being a subscription-based alternative for iPad that makes it a lot more affordable to learn the basics of 11 different tongues. After launching last October on Windows 8, the outfit is showing Microsoft's other major OS a bit of love today. Babbel is bringing its 11 language learning programs to Windows Phone 8, with the apps scheduled to hit the 'Education' segment of the Windows Phone Store any moment now. For those who've yet to give it a whirl, Babbel uses a mix of repetition, visual cues, spelling exercises and voice recognition, and it does a pretty stellar job of segmenting things into digestible lessons for those who only have five or ten minutes at a time to spare. The apps themselves are free to download, with a company spokesperson explaining to us that the WP8 builds "are mainly vocabulary trainers with 3,000 words broken down into themed lessons." Ideally, the phone apps would supplement a user's learning on their main platform (iPad or desktop). So, at $0.00, your last remaining excuse to not understand what the locals are chatting about in Moorea has been obliterated. Vous êtes les bienvenus.
Ask Engadget: best language to develop apps for Android and iOS?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Nikunj, who wants to produce his own apps for both sides of the smartphone war. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm a C++ student and I was wondering what's the best language to develop apps in both Android and iOS? Is C++ enough, and if not, could you all suggest some other languages? Thank you." Your humble narrator isn't a developer, but has scratched out the knowledge that neither platform's SDK is that germane to C++. iOS, for one, uses Objective-C or Cocoa, while Android at least does provide a C++ developers kit, it's apparently not as nice to use as the Java equivalent. Beyond that? That's where we'll turn this question over to those developers who proudly call themselves members of the Engadget fraternity.
Babbel launches subscription-based language learning program for iPad
Looks as if there's a new twist in the language learning game. Following the release of a basics guide on the iPad last year, Babbel has decided to bring most of its 11 language guides to Apple's tablet line -- but rather than forcing customers to fork out giant sums for the full monty, it's offering tools in smaller subscription chunks. Learners can choose from French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Turkish, Dutch, Polish, Indonesian and English, and you'll find practically everything available via the company's website available on the iPad. There's a review manager that keeps track of words that have been learned as well as the learner's progress, and synchronizes them to coincide with the web app, and those who download lessons ahead of time will be able to soak in new vocabularies while offline. For those interested solely in the iPad app, you'll be asked to pay $12.95 (1 month) / $26.85 (3 months) / $44.70 (6 months), while the app + web access will run $16.45 / $32.85 / $53.70 for the same durations. Hit up the source link to grab the download. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Google Translate gets new features, makes sure you choose the right words
Google has added functionality to the web version of its Translate service, now making it even easier for us to use and understand foreign tongues. Instead of a single result, you'll be presented with a list of the most common translations, ordered and labeled by how frequently each one is used. What's more, synonyms are also displayed next to the assortment of results, but this particular feature only works when translating into English, although more languages are expected to be supported soon. We've had a quick play around with it, and suggest you head over to the Google Translate page and try out the new elements for yourself. Now, if only the website translator could make those Japanese pages a little easier to read.
Google, Mozilla and Wikimedia projects get Maya language translations at one-day 'translathon'
Twenty native speakers of Yucatec, Mexico's most widely spoken Mayan tongue, met last Thursday to help bring the language to Google, Mozilla and Wikimedia projects. The event, dubbed Mozilla Translathon 2012, was organized to provide translations for Firefox, Google's Endangered Languages Project, the WikiMedia software that powers Wikipedia and 500 crowdsourced articles, to boot. Finding the right words, however, can often be a tricky proposition. "There are words that can't be translated," Mozilla's Mexico representative Julio Gómez told CNNMéxico. "In Maya, file doesn't exist. Tab doesn't exist." Gómez continues to explain that the group may keep foreign words as-is, or find other terms to represent the same ideas. In addition to software localization, it's believed that the effort could allow Maya speakers to "recover their identity and their cultural heritage," according to Wikimedia México president Iván Martínez. If you'd like to peruse wiki articles in the indigenous language, check out the source links below.
Google Translate app gets weighty update, will translate signs through your smartphone camera
Google's multi-lingual translation app decided that (online) words were not enough. Beyond digital text, a new update to Translate will let Google's bots translate what you're looking at, whether that's hand-written directions or a sign saying, "wrong way." Though its not the first time we've seen an app that translates text from the camera (not even for Google) the update includes a convenient touch-guided interface that allows you to draw over the text you'd like converted into English -- it seemed to master our beginners' Spanish textbook with ease. The update also adds improvements to its voice translations, with new dialect preferences and improved handwriting recognition for Japanese input. Grab the download before you board that flight abroad this summer -- just ensure it's on a WiFi-only connection once you get there.
