Saturday, March 22, 2003
Uhura, Patch This Through The Universal Translator Please
Posted by Ed Hansberry in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 05:24 PM
http://www.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,58150,00.html
What was once the fantasy in the world of Star Trek is closer to becoming a reality.
"Soldiers can't prevent the diplomatic misunderstandings that breed warfare, but the Pentagon hopes a handheld electronic interpreter in GIs' packs can prevent language barriers from claiming lives on the battlefield. To be successful, such a gadget has to go way beyond the electronic phrase books and generic tourist directories available today."
It isn't quite as small as the universal translator Kirk or Picard used though. It requires a Linux or Windows based tablet PC with a microphone and speaker. Looking at SpeechGear's site thought it looks like they are playing with the technology in Pocket PCs and smaller wrist-worn devices.
What was once the fantasy in the world of Star Trek is closer to becoming a reality.
"Soldiers can't prevent the diplomatic misunderstandings that breed warfare, but the Pentagon hopes a handheld electronic interpreter in GIs' packs can prevent language barriers from claiming lives on the battlefield. To be successful, such a gadget has to go way beyond the electronic phrase books and generic tourist directories available today."
It isn't quite as small as the universal translator Kirk or Picard used though. It requires a Linux or Windows based tablet PC with a microphone and speaker. Looking at SpeechGear's site thought it looks like they are playing with the technology in Pocket PCs and smaller wrist-worn devices.
