AI translation is fast becoming a business that's essential, turning global interactions local.
And at IFA 2024, it goes well beyond translation software. There are no lack of gadgets, apps, and tools designed to ease multi-lingual conversations. The Honor Magic V3, for example, whose foldable design means you and others can all see translations in real-time.
One new release we got at Europe's biggest tech event is the Timekettle W4 Pro earbuds. We've reviewed plenty of Timekettle translators in our time, and they've usually left us very impressed. Language is no longer the barrier it used to be, and so I was keen to lay my hands on the company's new translation device.
Making global interactions local
Looking like a pair of early-2000s Bluetooth earpieces designed for business-business, both units have a soft, rubbery feel where it rests on the ear, with a hardened plastic mouthpiece that doesn't interfere with speech. Each piece sat in its own moulded box where, like any other earbuds, the device will charge.
Translations are made and displayed via what's effectively a speech-to-text app. While we didn't get any hands-on time with the app, we observed the process, and it's exactly as you'd expect: select the original language and the output language.
In our case, this was Chinese to English. We popped on the headset, our host did the same, and we conducted a light conversation. I made no attempt to moderate my speech or speak loudly. I simply spoke in my normal register. But even in the busy event hall, the Timekettle device easily picked up my every word, and that of my host, displaying them on the app.
It took around 2.5 seconds while the app processed the speech before the translation appeared on the screen. If you've used Google Translate, the effect is more or less the same.
And in my ear. A soft human-sounding voice audibly translating my host's fluent Chinese into English. Not too loud to overpower the conversation, but easily understandable even as others spoke around me.
Quite by accident, I also experienced Chinese to German translation. The initial set-up was for this, and that also worked very well (with what little German I understand).
An effective bit of kit, then, for businesses working with global partners. I'd like to see the translations coming faster, to allow for a more natural flow. However, in practice, I found this an impressive experience for tearing down linguistic barriers.
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