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WorldWeird: Instant translation via your phone

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  1.  (9315.1)
    I was tempted to throw this into Around the net, but it just seems so significant that it deserved its own thread. I'll let the video explain...

  2.  (9315.2)
    Fuck me, I need an iPhone and a ticket to Tokyo.
    •  
      CommentAuthorstsparky
    • CommentTimeDec 16th 2010
     (9315.3)
    Just wow.
    •  
      CommentAuthorrazrangel
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2010
     (9315.4)
    It's only English to Spanish and back (for now). And still electronic translations, and therefore grammatically incorrect. Good for stuff on the go. Pretty. Clever. I like more what it says about image recognition than anything else. (Though I wonder how well it would fare with a font it doesn't have to text otherwise in a somewhat unclear presentation - blurry, wet, faded, etc.)

    Anyway. Whew. It's far from perfect. I don't have to give up being a translator.
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      CommentAuthorreosarevok
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2010
     (9315.5)
    Google Translator on image text. Ok, it is nice, specially if they manage to make it work with other languages and with less clear fonts. If they perfect the input, it will be really useful for traveling and I'll probably use it. But let's not glorify it, because it is still Google Translator on image text.
  6.  (9315.6)
    But let's not glorify it, because it is still Google Translator on image text.

    In realtime. Through a live tracking camera, not a still.
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      CommentAuthorDigitalyn
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2010
     (9315.7)
    Installed it last night and it's unreal. Like James Puckett: I need a ticket to Tokyo now, who's in?
    • CommentAuthorJECole
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2010
     (9315.8)
    Fuck. Yet another reason to purchase a bloody Iphone.
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      CommentAuthorAnnie
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2010
     (9315.9)
    I installed this yesterday and dicked around with it all afternoon. It's far from perfect (requires very specific conditions) but it's still really incredible. Can't wait for this to be refined and include more languages.
  10.  (9315.10)
    ~ But let's not glorify it, because it is still Google Translator on image text.

    ~ In realtime. Through a live tracking camera, not a still.

    Yeah, seriously, I'm happy glorifying this. It wasn't that long ago that I thought technology was cool because getting 3D data out of a pre-recorded video stream was a brand new feature on high-end compositing software that required manual input and a huge loading bar to process... Now a phone can do it on the fly, and someone's been this clever with how to apply it to life.

    I just downloaded the app and whilst it's very rough, it's still crazy good.
    • CommentAuthorlooneynerd
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2010
     (9315.11)
    I'm all for anything that get's people communicating and traveling, but at the same time it makes me a bit uneasy. I know many Americans who don't bother learning a foreign language, both because of the widespread use of English (every major Airport in the world that I know of has English signs as well as signs in the local language) and because of increasing technological aids like pocket translators and this app. I just worry that such apps will make people lazy.

    That said, this technology is awesome. I can't wait until it gets to the point where we can use it for things like document translation. We spend a lot of time in archives painstakingly translating rather mundane documents just to see what they are. This would really expedite the process!
  12.  (9315.12)
    But let's not glorify it, because it is still Google Translator on image text.

    In realtime. Through a live tracking camera, not a still.

    And on a local (handheld, 1ghz + SGX) processor instead of the cloud.
    • CommentAuthorjonah
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2010
     (9315.13)
    Wow. Just knowing this exists makes me feel good.

    It wouldn't be nearly as sexy, but I don't get why this isn't being done with usb web cams and such already. Even a netbook has more processing power to throw around doesn't it?

    @looneynerd
    People are already lazy. On the more mundane side the program could maybe if we are really lucky help prevent people from being huge dicks when they travel (yelling does not make you easier to understand) or at least keep them from ordering bad fugu. :)

    Seriously, I see this as being a great way to enhance the learning process. I imagine it will actually increase language skills in large part because it's so easy. The additional potential this technology has to speed up the sharing of words across language boundaries is exciting too. Kids should be all over this. It's like a futuristic secret decoder ring. In fact I don't see why people couldn't invent their own new codes, symbols and tags for a program like this to translate. So cool!
  14.  (9315.14)
    I could almost swear that's a babel fish on the last card she held up...
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      CommentAuthorstsparky
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2010
     (9315.15)
    Tokyo trip? Ooooooo ... That could be fun.
    • CommentAuthoricelandbob
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2010
     (9315.16)
    if it works well with Icelandic, i may even try to save up for a iPhone!
    • CommentAuthor256
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010
     (9315.17)
    Next time someone complains that the present isn't as sci-fi as they thought it would be when it was still the future gets a slap and one of these.
    • CommentAuthorSteadyUP
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010
     (9315.18)
    Am I the only one who can't get the demo to do a damned thing?

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