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Dropbox‘s gone a little bit more global, adding Russian, Polish, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese language support to its file sharing service. The translated versions are available across Mac, PC, Linux and Dropbox’s web interface, with an iOS version apparently in the works and “coming soon.” Alongside those language credits, the Android app has also improved how it shows off the entirety of your photo collection, which should make the most of all those instant uploads.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

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Source: Dropbox (1), (Google Play)

Google, the word not the company, has become such a common word for anyone who uses a computer (other than the yahoos who still use Yahoo, I guess) that it’s surprising to learn that other languages have a different word for it. Like Italians say Googlare. Or that the Portugese say Googlar. It gets weirder. More »

Last year at CEATEC, we saw NTT DoCoMo demo its translation app, which made life easier by translating a Japanese menu into English text. This time around the carrier is showing off the new Hanashite Hon’yaku service for Android devices, which can translate spoken Japanese to English and vice versa (it supports a total of 10 languages, including French, German and Korean). In addition to providing an on-screen translation, the system reads out your speaking partner’s words in your language.To use the service, you need an Android-enabled (2.2 and higher) device running on either the carrier’s spumode or moperaU plan. Provided you fit those requirements, you’ll simply have to dial the other party, speak into the phone and wait for it to play back your words in a foreign tongue.

Of course, you can also use the service in person, which is exactly what we did at DoCoMo’s booth. When we gave it a test run with some simple questions (“Where are you from?”, “What time is it?”), the app had no trouble spitting back those phrases in Japanese so the DoCoMo rep could respond. When he answered in Japanese, the translation to English was equally seamless, taking just a second or two to communicate that he is from Japan. Though the app is free, you’ll have to pay call and data charges (using the service for face-to-face conversation only entails a data fee). The cross-cultural barriers will break down starting November 1st, but you can get a glimpse of the service in action just after the break.

Continue reading NTT DoCoMo translation app converts languages in real time (hands-on video)

Filed under: Software

NTT DoCoMo translation app converts languages in real time (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even though it’s also on iOS now, Android is still the first love for Google’s Voice Search and the company announced today it’s adding support for an additional 13 languages on the platform, bringing the total to 42 languages and accents understood in 46 countries. The list includes Basque, Bulgarian. Catalan, European Portuguese, Finnish, Galician, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak and Swedish. Just like it has since at least 2010 when Voice Actions were introduced it will require Android 2.2 or higher, and is easily accessible either from the search box on your home screen or in the Voice Search app. We should note that it still only understands one language at a time and you may need to change some settings, also the new languages weren’t showing up yet on every device we tried — just some of them. Hit the source link for a few more details on how machine learning was used to extrapolate the pronunciation of all Swedish words based on thousands of samples from native speakers, or just grab a nearby phone or tablet and have Pau Gasol speak some Catalan to it — although obviously Salvador Dali would be preferred, were he available.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet

Google’s Voice Search on Android adds support for 13 additional languages originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 03:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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