DocAndersen
I have some upcoming reviews, but I wanted to talk about a concept today that is intriguing to me (for me?). First off the Travis Translation team is working with a company called Zoi Meets to release a real-time transaction service in your web meetings. It leads me closer to the concept of universal translation. Travis, the Translator, continues to improve. There are some translation devices that offer interesting online and offline translation capabilities. I’ve had discussions with other folks that travel, for the most part, people are happy with Google Translate. Travis and the others are more focused on the nuanced language market. They do a much better job and don’t force you to do two things.
- Lose the use of your phone for anything else (such as a camera, cellular phone etc while you are using it as a translator)
- Cost money (Google Translate is online only ergo you have to pay for the data you use)
Before I head off on the original thing that intrigues me, I did want to point out the difference between nuanced language and what the online translation services do. Nuanced language is where most people speak. It is the application of slang and colloquial language. It is the difference between English (spoke in the UK) and American (English is spoken in the US). Travis does much better in the world of Nuanced Language.
That brings me to my initial concept of the meeting. When I first started in IT, we had one meeting room that had a projector (they were really expensive). We didn’t have interactive monitors and very few whiteboards. The evolution of what a meeting room is has continued to evolve. The addition of translation services within the meeting makes well it makes it a lot more interesting. Now you can meet with people all around the world and not have to have a translator in the room for every language (except sign language, you still have to have a translator for sign language).
Astro Realty, the AR company just launched a new Kickstarter Campaign (I think this is their 3rd). This one is an AR Coffee Mug. This follows son their lunar and earth campaigns that were successful. They have also continued to expand its product line. It is an interesting demonstration, as well as the application of AR in the wild.
The evolution of technology is interesting. AstroReality and Travis are both crowdfunding campaigns that became companies.
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Question of
Do you have friends whose primary language is one you don’t speak?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Have you ever used Google or Bing Translate?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Do you like subtitles?
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Yes
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No
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Thats very interesting, I only used a translation on line with my main computer. I don’t use the cell phone for anything else other than phone someone, or text or take photos.
It really is a great company and product!
This is very helpful information. Doc, you always keep us informed about important topics.
Thanks – 🙂 I am a huge geek so talking tech makes me happy!
I remember even a decade ago, machine translation was pretty weak and not estimated to improve much in the foreseeable future and then Google’s AI blew everyone away with completely unexpected breakthroughs. Now the prospects of localization are bright…
There are six portable translation devices on the market right now, each is a game changer. I suspect the reality of the universal translator is not far away.
On the fly universal translation is the grail, but even a decent slow version would do wonders for localization. Back when I was working in SQA, it was a labor intensive process
So yeah, I’m excited
The Travis team is based in Holland (I love crowdfunding). I do understand the point you’ve made, however, and you are right. Travis is roughly 60% speed for native language speakers. Still slower now, than it will be in say 2 years. But in situations where you can’t understand each other, slowing down and understanding saves a lot of time!
Hey, even a realtime translator that lags is something to get excited about. When I am too wiped out to do more art but too amped to sleep, I often play translated JRPGs. Some of the translations are painfully bad and incomplete to boot. A robust translator could really do wonders in this arena, even if it was quite slow…
Interesting developments are coming. Miomeet, is the first online system that actually uses the Travis translator to provide web meetings with live translation!
Such advancements give me hope for the future. Lack of development and adoption of green energy makes me despair we will live to see it…
I suspect based on the reality of green energy we are closer than we think. Hope is still there, just clinging to life support right now.
look at Deutschland- 60% green today! Green is feasible now, but we need to adopt it. We are running out of time…
There is a significant oil-funded resistance to clean energy (shocking I know).
this has gone beyond greed and is a threat to the planet, so that bullshit has to stop
I agree with you, but billions of dollars of false advertising are really hard to get around….
which I don’t understand at all. greed is one thing but you can’t spend the money if you’re dead
It is an interesting social reality. The line between getting what you need and having way more than you can ever use, is one each person has to draw.
nobody needs a trillion dollars
Luckily the wealthiest people in the world are around 100 billion. However, I do agree with you in principle.
My philosophy is this:
“Someone taught you, inspired you and helped you.” That should be the top of the pay scale.
Pay coaches, teachers, and mentors.
paying teachers is investing in the future
My father, who was an educator for more than 50 years used to say if we take the time to educate those who build tomorrow, we will have a repeatable system.
the US doesn’t seem at all interesting in renewable futures of any sort. short term gain seems to be the only motivator any more…
I wish I had a credible argument against what you are saying but sadly I do not.
I wish you did, too. This is disgusting
This is a very interesting service. I currently use Google and Bing Translate.
Google and Bing are excellent services I use them as well. Travis and some of the others are interesting edge of usefulness tech!
It’s a very interesting service, especially with the nuanced language (I’m sure my English is as rigid as steel and weird), and it’s important if I have to meet people in different languages and I’m not mastered (but that time has passed).
I suspect your English is much better than mine my friend. I sadly speak 100% American, and as my English friends tell me, that is not English!
Travis does really well with the nuanced American I speak. It also does pretty well with native Spanish and Native Italian speakers (they only two I have access to right now).
Your praise is too much, Lebay! (slank of lebih = more), that’s the nuanced term of young people in my country.
Mmm… So, so far Travis has only just worked for three languages…
🙂 kind words are always gifted, they do not have to be accepted.
Thanks a lot for the gift.