Have you ever wished you were fluent in about a billion languages? Me too. Luckily, amazing new technology like the in-ear Pilot Translator can instantly translate your conversation while you're having it. Yes, it's that cool: By placing a small device in your ear, a corresponding smartphone app can translate the conversation you're currently having via Bluetooth. That means no typing, no Googling, and no panicking through the dictionary.
Pilot translates real-time face-to-face conversations between you and others in French, Spanish, Italian, and English. Upon launch, the pilot will support additional languages, including East Asian, Hindi, Semitic, Arabic, Cyrillic, and African languages. Awesome, right? The device is currently still in development; backers can support the project through their Indiegogo page. When you buy the device, you receive two headphones, so you can use one for yourself and the other for the other person during a conversation.
So, how does this all actually work? The details of exactly how the translation works are still very secret, but it's connected through an app on your phone that is said to work offline, which is pretty cool. You can pre-order the Pilot starting May 25 for prices ranging from $129 to $179. Once pre-orders close, the product is expected to cost between $250 and $300.
While Pilot is certainly innovative, it's not the only cool product that can help us bridge cultural and language barriers. There's a lot of research and funding going into this area right now, so here are some other cool options to choose from:
1. Click Translate
Google Translate's World Lens feature allows users to translate words in nearly 30 languages in real time through their phone's camera. You can even use the app while offline. Another cool feature that has been added recently is the "Click to Translate" feature which allows you to translate text messages within a single message - this means you don't have to copy and paste the text into different translation apps or browsers, thus saving A lot of time.
2. Yili
ili attracted a lot of attention with their ad campaign, which showed a man using translation technology to ask women for a kiss in multiple languages. The video received a lot of backlash and criticism as many believed it allegedly glorified sexual harassment. (Takura Yoshida, CEO of Logbar, which produced "ili," later revealed that the scenes in the ad were staged. "The promotional video was created to demonstrate the effectiveness of the translation device," he said, according to The Independent . " These women are all actresses, and no one is forced to do anything against their will."
But even if the advertising campaign isn't that cool, the device itself is pretty cool. It's a wearable translation device that doesn't rely on any form of internet connection, making it perfect for travel. It uses its own operating system and currently can translate English, Chinese, and Japanese.
3. Skype call translation
Skype began previewing it for users in December 2014 and added call translation services about seven months ago. Call Translation is pretty cool - it offers real-time translation in six languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, and Spanish. If you communicate via text-based communication via Skype, you can use translation services in up to 50 languages. What’s super cool about this app? It learns as you use it, so the more people use slang, regional dialects, etc., the better the system can recognize and understand them.
So there you have it! Chat with people in new languages with these great technologies. Or, you know, take a language class. No matter what, broadening your horizons always pays off.
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