Google Phone Will Translate As You Speak

The people at Google certainly love to think of themselves as innovators at…well, just about everything. And while – we admit – they usually are, we’re more than a little dubious about their latest claim.

According to Google’s head of translation services, Franz Och, the company should have speech-to-speech translation software in their phones within the next few years. Think of it as a little interpreter living in your phone, letting you know – in real time – that your Great Aunt Maria from the old country finally had her kidney stones removed. We know you’ve been dying to know.

Google plans to combine their already existing voice recognition system (that voice command thingy – which people actually use…?) and their text translator to create this super speech translation software.

If you’ve ever tried to pass off your Web-translated essay in a high school class (not that any of us would ever do that, ahem), then you are more than aware of the limited nature of technology when it comes to language. Hence our cynicism about this supposed speech translator.

We’d love to see this phone in action, but until then – we’re thinking this idea sounds more sci fi than fact.

Read More {TimesOnline}

Read More {Gizmodo}

Read More {MobileCrunch}