Universal Translator App

You've heard the phrase 'science fiction becomes science fact' well, here's an example of the beginnings of that very thing. An app is available for the Android phone that translates spoken English to several other languages. Could a real version of Star Trek's universal translator be far behind?

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Tue Jul 26, 2011
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Comments

I was amazed by this technology! I guess I really am a trekkie at heart.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 07/26/11 at 11:12 PM

Speech -> Text -> Translated Text -> Speech

I don't see where anything could go wrong!

Brit: Could I come round and knock up your daughter, Sir?
Yank: Kicks the crap out of visiting Brit.
😉

I'll wait for v10.273.4 build 1834.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 07/27/11 at 12:20 AM

As long as your idea can translate BEER, SEX, and F__K into all the languages correctly your idea should be a hit VisiJared.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 07/27/11 at 09:49 AM

I saw one "one fat bean" but I'm not a Francophone.
Google translate came up with "a big shot".
Babylon came up with, "a big wig".
Microsoft translator came up with "a large legume". 100% correct & 100% useless!

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 07/27/11 at 11:27 AM

In the south, to shag is to dance...not elsewhere. Learned that the hard way! :red: I wonder how it would handle multiple meanings of the same phrase.

Posted by Mini Viking on 07/27/11 at 12:25 PM

give it 10 years and see what we have.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 07/27/11 at 10:14 PM

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