Slashdot Mirror
Google Aims To Be Your Universal Translator
mpicpp sends word about Google's latest translate technology. "Google is beaming a bit closer to Star Trek's universal translator with the newest edition of its Translate app. Rolling out over the next few days for iOS and Android users, the latest version of Google Translate offers two key features — the ability to instantly converse with someone speaking in a different language and the capability to translate street signs and other images into your native language. Both features have been available in the Android app to some extent. For example, Google Translate for Android has long offered real-time translation of conversations. But Google's goal behind the latest version of the app is to enhance and simplify the features so they work more quickly and fluidly without any lag time. The latest version of Google Translate aims to change that. To converse with someone speaking in a different language, a user chooses his language and that of the other speaker. He then taps the microphone icon in the app, starts speaking in his native or selected language, and then taps the mic icon again. The app will recognize which of the two languages is being spoken, and then the two speakers can carry on their conversation without having to keep tapping the mic. In a test of the app's instant translation, The New York Times said it did prove to be a step forward; though, it's not science fiction just yet. The app fared best with short sentences that didn't include jargon, and it worked better when the users paused between each translation. Google also has beefed up the app's ability to translate street signs. Previously, you'd have to take a photo of the foreign text to get a translation of it. Now, you simply point your camera at the sign and the translated text appears overlaid on your screen — even if you're not connected to the Internet. This feature is made possible courtesy of Quest Visual's Word Lens app for iOS and Android, which Google acquired when it purchased the company last May. This feature supports English translated to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Google says it's working to add more languages."
If only they could translate what my 18 month old is saying!
Fag, for one.
It's not really ready until it supports Andorian, Cardassian, Ferengi, Romulan, Vulcan and New York City slang.
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
Mod me down, I shall become more off-topic than you could possibly imagine.
Uzani, his army with fists closed.
A Brazilian like me will have to do a good effort to make sense from what you wrote if you do not know brazilian portuguese and try to use Google translate.
Religion: The greatest weapon of mass destruction of all time
We know Google really isn't into the whole "don't be evil" thing anymore as they have become a giant corporation like all others. And while I like the idea of something like this being freely available, the first thing that came to my mind was that now they will have access to people's actual conversations, not just search queries. I've thought for a long time that 'big brother' will not come from governments, but from corporations. Maybe it comes from watching the original 1975 Roller Ball movie and it's basis around the 'corporate state'.
-- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
Fine for ordering in a restaurant or asking directions. Not appropriate for business, medical or government communication, contracts, etc.
...omphaloskepsis often...
It's less creepy than having this damned fish in my ear all the time.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Now, it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so mind-bogglingly useful could have evolved purely by chance that some have chosen to see it as the final proof of the NON-existence of God. The argument goes something like this:
"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," says Man, "the Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves that You exist, and so therefore, by Your own arguments, You don't. QED".
"Oh dear," says God, "I hadn't thought of that." and promptly vanishes in a puff of logic.
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
Looking forward to the day when I can watch old European softcore movies on Youtube and actually understand what's going on. (Besides the obvious.)
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Google makes self-contained, no-cloud translator, great.
As soon as they start sending what I'm saying back to home base, it's a big problem.
Machine translation has gotten better but people are always going to be the weak point.
The chief problem I see with the automatic translators, including Google, is not metaphors and creative writing but how people name their kids. You have people named for verbs, various states of mind, abstract concepts and things like 'the rock' or 'trees.'
When trying to parse a page that starts off about how the sky went to the park with love to be walk with young hope, machine translation just falls over. Other times you get a sentence that is just verbs, articles and prepositions. What's an algorithm to do?
But at least it keeps those of us with international families who blog about their children in stitches.
I thought that this was already available on Windows Phone?
I think your expected to teach your kid to speak your language.
Help build the anti-software-patent wiki
Google only has /relatively/ good voice recognition for english, it absolutely sucks in other languages. It just doesn't work, simple as that.
I was hoping I could finally tell the wonderful chaps at ISIS and their pedophile prophet what they could go do with themselves...
Google translator: each new language needs to be added manually and the initial version is often junk.
Star Trek translator: learns a new language in minutes even though you've never met anyone from that planet previously.
Even if Google translator spoke every language in the world flawlessly, including the fictional ones (Klingon, Tolkien's Elvish, etc.), it wouldn't be anywhere close to the Star Trek translator. When it can learn a new language on its own, then we can compare the two.
"But Google's goal behind the latest version of the app is to enhance and simplify the features so they work more quickly and fluidly without any lag time. The latest version of Google Translate aims to change that."
So... slower and laggier in the new version then?
Maybe the story author needs Google Translate.
It can't become a translator any time soon. It's not even an adequate dictionary yet.
Unless and until Google starts to hire actual translators and pay them actual money, this is value subtracting and will suck income out of the very translators it depends on. If we are really unlucky, it will be an unsustainable parasitism, driving translators out of work and actually reducing the ability of the world to deal with multiple languages.
The place where this would be most useful is out of the country. Where my CDMA phone won't work. Great.
I for one welcome our destroying-privacy-by-speaking-another-language-translating overlords!
Having to learn another language is prima facia evidence of state failure, anyway.
Google's current effort is nothing like the Star Trek Universal Translator, and it is exceedingly unlikely that anything ever will be. The STUT is supposed to be able to translate languages that it has not been programmed to translate and has never been exposed to before. Existing translators, including Google's, can only work with languages that they already know.
"For Google is a bit close beaming of iOS and Android users to the latest version and Star Trek universal translator of the translation application, translate rolling, the latest version of Google is two to offer an important function over the next few days - . Conversely both features to instantly fart the ability to some extent in another language and the native language that is used in Android apps and someone who speaks to the ability to convert the road signs and other images. for example, for Google's Android conversation has been offering translation long-term real-time translation. However, as Google's goal behind the latest version of this app is to strengthen, they without deviation of all time, to work more quickly and fluidly and is to simplify the function. the latest version of Google, convert intended to change it. language to conversation and speak in someone different users to select their own language, it is another of the speaker. he then started to speak in his native or the selected language was tap the microphone icon in the app, and then, again tap the microphone icon. app to recognize whether the two are talking about language, then 2 speakers will be able to continue the conversation without having to maintain tap the microphone. in the test of instant translation app, with the New York Times, did prove that it is a step forward, but it only in it is not yet a science fiction. app, terminology is the best of the good fight and in a short statement that did not contain, when the user is a pause in between each of the translation, it worked better. Google or , we are strengthening the capacity of the application to convert the road signs. So far, you will need to take a picture of foreign language text in order to get it translated. Well, in you simply sign text that has been translated and turn your camera will be overlay displayed on the screen -. you have this feature even if you are not connected to the Internet, when you have purchased the company in may last year, Google is is a possibility courtesy of the acquired of iOS and quest of Visual Word of lens app for for Android. this feature, to English is, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, from Spanish translated support to have. Google is said to have worked in order to add more languages. "
Problem is that you can't use it where it's most needed. When you're in the middle of bumfuck nowhere with no internet.
Seriously, try using google translate sentences in other languages. Many of the voices are of poor quality. Even the English voice doesn't quite sound right. I seriously doubt that google can offer anything particularly useful to important areas of translation, like healthcare, business, and literature. The google translate presents itself like many google projects with blasé approaches, tools, and interfaces that leave much to be desired. Google is a member of the too big to fail club, so expect more of this silliness.
The Bing Translator has done this on Windows Phone for over a year. If you have an internet connection you have over 60 languages to choose from and you can download individual language packs for when you're not. Of course since only Bill, Steve and I have Windows Phones, it's impact isn't quite as spectacular but at least they got there first for once.
i wish i could have an offline universal translator for linux that would work on https firefox pages, for banking and stuff that can't be passed to google. i'd even pay for it. i have searched and the strange part is i havent found an app anywhere on the net to do it.
Interpreters get paid $100 and up to do the job now. A few million people could use a translator for that. Difficulty: it's a visual language.