Google, perhaps devoting too much time to its glorified, ugly, over-hyped autonomous golf cart self-driving car, now finds itself in the unfamiliar position of playing catch-up to Microsoft. Yes, that Microsoft added a simultaneous translation feature to Skype late last year. A feature not found in Google's Translate app, yet will reportedly appear any day now.
Besides, people are already tired of self-driving cars.
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers speak clearly and enunciate.
Filling in for our humble blogwatcher Richi Jennings, is a humbler Stephen Glasskeys.
Quentin Hardy investigates The Mystery of the Simultaneous Translator: [Please. -Ed.]
The tech industry is doing its best to topple the Tower of Babel.
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Last month, Skype, Microsoft's video calling service, initiated simultaneous translation between English and Spanish speakers. Not to be outdone, Google will soon announce updates to its translation app for phones. MORE
Jon Fingas, showing off, points towards his feet:
Converting unfamiliar speech to text in Google Translate is currently an awkward affair: you have to start a recording and wait until a moment after you're done to find out what the other person said.
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Skype already manages a similar feat on Windows 8.1, and Japan's DoCoMo showed this off on phones a while back. The concept isn't entirely new, then. MORE
Signs, signs, everywhere signs. Darren Orf translates all of 'em:
Google Translate will also let you take snapshots of signs...or whatever, and also translate onscreen. This is probably the product of Google's acquisition of the way cool Wordlens app. Our review of Skype Translator boiled down to a "close, but no cigar" analysis. MORE
It's hard to translate Duncan Riley when he won't say a word:
Accuracy will likely remain a problem; anyone who has used Google Translate previously can attest that the problem...isn't so much the ability to translate each individual word, but the actual context and grammar around them.
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There's no word on when the new version of the Google Translate app will be available. MORE
Meanwhile, @fxshaw loves reading headlines:
Love this...headline rewrite that starts "following Microsoft, Google..." MORE
You have been reading IT Blogwatch by Richi Jennings and Stephen Glasskeys, who curate the best bloggy bits, finest forums, and weirdest websites…so you don't have to. Catch the key commentary from around the Web every morning. Hatemail may be directed to @RiCHi or itbw@richi.uk. Opinions expressed may not represent those of Computerworld. Ask your doctor before reading. Your mileage may vary. E&OE.
