Spoken Japanese-English translation Using Your PDA

Ewann writes "Yet another step closer to the universal translator: Digitimes is reporting that NEC has announced trials of software for your PDA that listens to spoken English and Japanese phrases, translates them, and re-speaks them in the other language. Should be very handy the next time I'm in Tokyo."

Comments

AYB

[cpeikert]

How does it translate: "All your base are belong to us"?

We Need This...

[IronTek]

If you're asking yourself, "why do we really need this," or if you're just a caucasian who likes anime and is just browsing Slashdot, here is why we need this!

thank god!

[zenintrude]

now i can freak out japanese schoolgirls in perfect understanding of my intentions.

Based on past expirences

[MBCook]

I've tried many new technologies in my sort life. Based on my expirences, here's how this will work:

Step 1: I go to Japan
Step 2: I go to a store
Step 3: I tell my PDA "How much is a new Pentium 5"? (they'll be out by the time I can afford to go to Japan ;) )
Step 4: The PDA thinks for 20 minutes
Step 5: It says something in Japanese
Step 6: I end up infront of a firing squad
Step 7: I tell my PDA "Please don't shoot, this is just a missunderstanding!"
Step 8: The PDA thinks another 20 minutes
Step 9: They shoot me now as opposed to at sunrise tomarrow

Seriously though, this will be need if it works, but I doubt that the PDAs will be powerfull enough to do it with any reasonable speed. Desktop's maybe...

Make sure you use headphones

[Brento]

Stealth is the real advantage. Use a single earbud headphone, and make it look like it's coming out of your cellphone. Then you'll be able to eavesdrop in on the restaurant waiters while they laugh at your bad pronounciation, and find out if the chicks dig your American vibe.

I wonder if the translations sound as stilted as Babelfish - I don't know that I'd be able to keep a straight face while I used this thing.

I can just imagine... [2]

[Anonymous Coward]

>"Should be very handy the next time I'm in Tokyo."

I can just imagine:

You: "Pardon me Ms. Schoolgirl, where can I buy some seafood?"
PDA: "I shall violate you with my massive tentacles!"

(note: previosu post was an error; I had put the quotes in 's . doh!)

Re:electronic babelfish

[Yorrike]

Just make sure you know how to say "Where can I buy new batteries?", in every language you hope your PDA to translate.

I would personally prefer a speak in, write out translator - I'd be more likely to pick up the basics of which every language I was emerged in, rather than completely relying on the PDA .

I don't imagine it would take much to add that feature, if it's not already there.