translation
Latest
NTT DoCoMo expands its instant translation trials to 10 languages and 10,000 users
NTT DoCoMo's high-speed over-the-phone translation service has hit its second wider trial, aiming to test its skills with 10 languages and 10,000 subscribers -- up from 1,000 during its initial tests in 2011. DoCoMo has thrown in a few more details on how its real-time translator works. The feature is split into three steps: first, the carrier's servers recognize what you're saying, parses it into another language through its own cloud services and then converts the final translation into an audio message. The service currently functions with any Android device running version 2.2 or higher and a separate app will handle the interpretation for French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai. The Japanese carrier aims to launch a commercial version by March 2013 -- just in time for that vacation to see those falling cherry blossoms.
Google's Language Immersion Chrome extension translates random text to teach foreign lingo
Berlitz may be the best way to learn a foreign language, but most of us have neither the time nor the ability to fully immerse ourselves in the vocabulary of another country. Hot on the heels of Gmail's automatic translation feature hitting the big time, Google's Translate team has crafted a Chrome extension to make language learning a bit more accessible. The extension does the trick by translating random portions of text to any of its 64 supported languages, so that your native tongue is interspersed with the lingo you're learning. Users have a sliding scale to set their knowledge level from novice to fluent, and can roll over translated words to hear how they should be pronounced. Interested? Peep a video demo after the break to see it in action, or take the plunge and install it at the source below.
Gmail updates: good news for globalists, bad news for drunks
Ever used Gmail's automatic message translation feature, which lets you receive and send emails without even bothering to notice the native language of your contact? If not, that's probably because it's been lurking in the Labs section along with other ideas undergoing live experimentation. As of now though, translation should be right there in front of you as a regular feature, and honestly, it brings a whole new life to foreign spam. Meanwhile, other Lab features have been sacked, such as the Old Snakey time-frittering game and also Mail Goggles, which tested your sobriety with math puzzles before letting you click 'Send' in the wee hours of the morning. Ah well, the best labs are often the least crowded.
Google Translate now serving over 200 million people per month
This may surprise you, but as Google keeps adding languages to its translation service's repertoire, the number of folks using it continues to increase accordingly. Google Translate's about to celebrate its 6th anniversary of machine translation, and now boasts over 200 million users each month -- with 92 percent of those folks coming from outside the US. Keep up the good work fellas, and as long as you expand Translate's beatboxing abilities, we're sure the online interpreter will be serving 300 million folks monthly in no time.
RIFT kicks off service in Korea
MMOs generally don't sojourn too far from home. Outside of launches in the US and Europe, it's rare for a western game to be adapted to the Korean or Chinese market; far more often games from those markets get shipped here. But it does happen every so often, and such is the case with RIFT. As of today, the game has officially started its full commercial service in Korea under the guidance of NetMarble. The game is also launching with several of the usual launch events such as promotional giveaways, although they're of limited utility if you don't read or speak Korean. It's an unusual export, but with several Korean games making major promotional pushes in the US (such as Aion and TERA), it might be the time to see if cross-cultural appeal works in the other direction. And if you're familiar with the language and want to see how the game plays when adapted, now's the time.
AT&T Translator app hands-on: smashing the language barrier (video)
Translation apps aren't exactly the newest or sexiest thing in the world of technology, but we've got to hand it to AT&T for whipping up a rather impressive demo. The company showed off a next-gen version of its AT&T Translator app, which may one day allow people to communicate in real time regardless of their spoken language. The app uses the carrier's new Watson Speech API, in this case via a VoIP call on a pair of iPads, to not only transcribe dialog, but translate it from English to Spanish (and vice-versa), then play it back in the target tongue using a computer generated voice. This isn't like the Google Translate app on your phone -- the translation happens in near real time, with only a slight latency as your words are fed through the system. The demo wasn't without its hitches (the room was noisy and filled with bloggers totting wireless devices), but it went more or less as planned, and our gracious hosts were able to complete a call requesting a taxi cab. One day AT&T hopes to make this a standard feature of its services, eliminating the language barrier once and for all. To see the app in action check out the video after the break.
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.
Google gives us some insight on the inner workings of Google Translate
Google may have started out as a search engine, but the scope of its services has grown considerably in the 10-plus years since its origin. Of the many products in its grand stable, Google Translate has become a workhorse platform, lending its multi-lingual chops to Chrome, Google +, Android, iOS, Gmail, and even Google eBooks. Few of Google's other services can claim to serve the company's core mission "to organize the world's info and make it accessible" as well as the digital interpreter. Since many take Translate's prodigious powers for granted (guilty), we figured a quick history lesson was in order. So, join us after the break for a video interview with one of Translate's senior software engineers and let him hit you with some knowledge about its origins and operation.
Microsoft demos vocal translator at TechFest 2012, uses your own dulcet tones (video)
Microsoft has demonstrated new software that can pull together real-time multilingual vocal translations using your own voice. Monolingual TTS currently handles 26 different languages, although it's not instant just yet -- it takes about an hour of training to get the experimental software acquainted with your own utterances. Demonstrated at Microsoft's TechFest 2012 showcase, the software can even mix up foreign language pronunciation of place names with directions in your native tongue. It also complements those efforts with a 3D image of your head, animating your lips along to the foreign words you'd otherwise butcher. See how an algorithm-educated floating head handles Mandarin -- and how it's all done -- right after the break.
Vocre 2.0 for iOS brings live translation to video calls
Let's say you've just landed on home soil and happened to meet a charming partner during your stay abroad -- yet your unrequited love is separated by a nasty language barrier. Sure, it didn't seem to matter in the moment, but now that you've moved onto -- you know -- communication, you could use a bit of an assist. Thankfully, the folks at MyLanguage seem to have a worthwhile solution with the new Vocre 2.0 app for iOS. The software allows two individuals to engage in video chats in their native tongues, and the app removes the language barrier by providing translations (both text and spoken) on-the-fly. While Vocre 2.0 is currently in private beta, it'll debut as a free, ad-supported application. Further, users may take advantage of paid, premium services that include on-demand human translation. You can follow a similar story of two young lovers in a video after the break. Think it'll work out for 'em?
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.
AcceleGlove teaches you sign language: we go hands-in (video)
While we wouldn't say worthy devices at CES are rare, it's always welcome when we're dodging those middling tablets and iPhones cases scattered across Las Vega's premier tech event. Made by the Institute for Disabilities Research and Training (IDRT) and funded by the National Science Foundation, the AcceleGlove ties into a camera and PC software to act as an input device for American Sign Language. Currently, software extends to learning functionality, with a tutorial input program and more advanced translation software both on show this week. Accelerometers within the glove measuring finger movement, with the camera able to gauge distance and dynamic movement. We strapped on the AcceleGlove and gave the fundamental program a go, training our hands to spell out the alphabet -- with a fair bit of help from inventor Jose Hernandez-Rebollar. It's pretty pacey and certainly detects subtle changes that distinguish letters. The two-way gesture translator can apparently translate over 25,000 english words and phrases into ASL, with the ability to translate gestures into both text and speech. Future aims for the device include translating commands to PC operating systems, tablets and TVs. More functional applications include integrating hand signal communication into military and medical first response units, when conditions make both visual and audio communication difficult. The current iteration of both the glove and software are available now from IDRT for $300. Hit up the source for more info, or check out our nascent signing skills in our hands-in after the break. Zach Honig contributed to this report.
One of the hardest NES games ever translated to English
If you're a stone-cold psychopath whose masochistic gaming tendencies push you away from ... well, normal-people games and into the cold embrace of impossible games, then the unavailability of an English port for Takeshi's Challenge has probably been a sore point for you. We probably shouldn't encourage your self-destruction, but you should know that a few kind souls have translated the bizarre NES title for your localized enjoyment. The localization comes from ROM modder KingMike (via Tiny Cartridge). Before looking into acquiring the game, though, we'd suggest you also find an English language strategy guide to help you, because this game was made by the Devil.
NTT DoCoMo begins testing automated Japanese / English translation app that actually works (video)
We went hands-on with NTT DoCoMo's menu translator last month at CEATEC, but now Japan's leading carrier has a new translation tool to show off -- and it's quite impressive. The smartphone-based service analyzes your spoken word in Japanese or English, letting you converse with your phone in either language and presenting an on-screen and audible translation. Even more notable, however, is the near-real-time call analysis, in which the device translates your call immediately after you finish speaking each line. We defer our interlingual calls to our Japanese staffers, but an app like this would make it possible to converse directly with folks in other countries without the need for a human translator. NTT is claiming a success rate of between 80 and 90 percent, which is a significant improvement over the version we saw demoed earlier this year. The carrier started testing the service with 400 users today, and hopes to make it available to all subscribers in the second half of 2012. Jump past the break to see it in action in a pair of Japanese-language demos.
Google Translate for Android gets v2.2 update, adds more language support for speech-to-speech
Let the voice recognition battle begin! Siri's already thrown the first punch in the soon-to-be dicey (albeit very consumer friendly) voice service wars, but don't count Google out just yet. The folks over at Mountain View are doing their best to strike back, adding extra functionality to the Google Translate app for Android. So, what's new in this version 2.2 upgrade? The company's expanded the app's previously limited speech-to-speech repertoire with support for an additional 12 languages, accessible via the alpha-tagged Conversation Mode. And to prevent you from any awkward (and potentially hilarious) moments of unintended translation, there's now a post-edit ability to keep those two-way foreign exchanges PG. Alright, so it's not quite the hands-free, HAL-like cyber assistant update we'd like it to be, but there's always Ice Cream Sandwich for that -- we hope. In the meantime, go ahead and hit up the source below to test out the experimental wares for yourself or check out a video demo of Conversation Mode after the break.
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.
NTT DoCoMo menu translator app hands-on (video)
NTT DoCoMo menu translator app hands-on (video) NTT DoCoMo begins testing automated Japanese / English translation app that actually works (video) NTT DoCoMo exhibits on-the-fly speech translation, lets both parties just talk (video) Have you ever tried to read a Japanese menu? If there aren't pictures to reference, you'll likely have a difficult time figuring out what to order -- unless you can read Japanese, of course. NTT DoCoMo hopes to improve the dining experience for those of us that can't tell our ウニ (sea urchin) from our カニ (crab), building an app that can translate any of 9,000 possible menu entries from Japanese into English. It also supports English to Japanese translation, along with Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese) and Korean translations as well. The app worked fairly well, occasionally mistaking things like salmon caviar for "a rare part of the pork." OK, so perhaps there's a bit more work to be done. Either way, real-time visual language translation is definitely tricky stuff, and could be enormously helpful to travelers once devs figure out how to make it work -- and work well. Jump past the break to see the app do its thing at CEATEC.%Gallery-135633%
Google puts the Dead Sea Scrolls in the cloud, promises they won't dissolve when you touch them
You think your finger grease does bad things to your smartphone's touchscreen? Just imagine the horrors it would wreak on some ancient documents. As promised, Google has saved history the heartbreak of succumbing to your grubby paws by digitizing the Dead Sea Scrolls. Like pretty much everything else these days, the software giant has added the oldest known biblical manuscript to the cloud. Five scrolls are now available as hi-res images, which really you give the feel of their long-dead animal skin parchment. Google is also offering up English translations of some of the documents and is letting users add comments, because apparently historians weren't too keen on letting people pencil in the margins of the real thing.
Lord of the Rings Online still not available in China
When it comes to mammoth western themepark MMOs and the Chinese gaming market, apparently there can be only one. And that one isn't named Lord of the Rings Online (or Highlander Online, sadly). CDC Corporation initially entered into an agreement to distribute Turbine's Tolkien-inspired MMORPG to Chinese gamers in 2006. Five years later, the game still has not seen the light of day, and Turbine has pulled the plug on the arrangement as a result. CDC spent approximately $10 million on "licensing, development, and other costs," but has nothing to show for the expenditures. Don't cry too hard for Turbine, though, as the Boston-based developer pocketed the $4 million non-refundable licensing fee.
Age of Wulin interview translation hints at user-created martial arts
Curious about Age of Wulin, the free-to-play martial arts sandpark that's been in the news a bit lately? We were too, and as such we read with interest the translation of an interview with Snail Games CEO Shi Hai that recently went down on Weibo. What's Weibo? It's basically a Chinese Twitter analog, and the interview touches on game basics including character slots (one per account), PKing opportunities, and brief blurbs on the game's unique auto-pathing and user-created martial arts systems. These last two didn't merit more than a mention in this particular interview, but rest assured that we'll be bringing you all the latest Age of Wulin news as it happens.
