Language

Timekettle, a Chinese gadget brand that specializes in AI-powered translation gadgets, just unveiled a new set of earbuds designed for everyday use – with bone-conduction tech for accurate speech recognition.

For deaf and hearing impaired people, voice recognition technology can be a barrier to effective communication. Now, researchers have used AI to develop a tool that converts sign language to text, potentially increasing inclusivity and accessibility.

The Pocketalk translator is a super-portable Babel fish of a device that allows you to speak to people in up to 74 different languages at the touch of a button. But how does it stand up against the Langogo device we tested recently?

The Langogo Genesis is a hand-held pocket translator, smaller than a smartphone, that uses noise-cancelling microphones to translate between more than 100 languages, while offering you a 4G WiFi hotspot while you're travelling. We've been using one for the last few weeks.

​Not long ago, if you told someone there was a device that allowed your spoken words to instantly be heard in another language, they might not believe you. Well, there are now several such gadgets available, and we recently tried out a unique new model – Misway Technology's Smark two-way translator.

Hospital workers often have their hands full, plus they also often have to communicate with patients who speak other languages. With this in mind, Fujitsu Laboratories has developed what it claims is "the world's first wearable, hands-free speech translation device."

​​It was last year that we first heard about ili, an electronic translator that doesn't require an internet connection in order to work. Now, its makers have taken a step forward by announcing pricing and availability.​

Many older buildings are ornamented with gargoyles, grotesques, famous figures, and the like – but emoji? That's a first as far as we know. Amsterdam's Attika Architekten has adorned a building with 22 of the grinning, laughing, and scowling images.

​A recent study has shown that babies begin learning and storing speech earlier than previously thought. The findings show that language learning in the first six months of life is subconsciously retained even when a child is raised to speak an entirely different language.

Not so long ago, the idea of a universal language translation device making the jump from science fiction to reality seemed preposterous. Google Translate, however, is fast becoming that device. Its most recent update includes seamless conversation and foreign text translation.

With over 2.4 million Mazda 2’s sold worldwide since 2002, expectations for the company’s small 5-door hatchback are high. Today the company unveiled its reworked 2016 Mazda 2 that not only features the new Kodo design influences but a range of engines including a 1.5 liter diesel SKYACTIV engine.

Researchers at the Multimedia University in Malaysia have developed an app called the Intelligent Narrator to read out news articles in real-time. Supporting multiple languages, the app can automatically identify an online newspaper's language and read out the news in the same language.