NTT Docomo’s Real Time Translation Service

Just pathetic.  The Japanese probably spend ten as much as the next nation per capita studying a foreign language, ne, THEY foreign language, one required in school for six years, yet you’ve got the best and the brightest wasting time on translation programs.

It’s things like this that make you think that de Gaulle was right about the Japanese.

i was lucky enough to try out a prototype t-01 for 3 months just about 2 years ago when i lived in japan (native english study abroad student going to college in japan, perfect test partner) and its really cool technology.  however, i saw it more as not necessarily a gimmick but a toy; it was still very new technology at the time so when my friends or i spoke into it in english, we would get messages like in the pictures (we figured background noise from society was the culprit).  it was hilarious.  dont get me wrong, the technology is really cool and it was spot-on when we were in a quiet room; but i would assume most of the time thats not a setting one would use it in.  background noise as interference (especially people walking by and talking loud) is one thing that affected my testing, badly, and if that has been overlooked, could also play a part in deterring people away from the technology mentioned in this post too (example: izakaya, where everyone talks loud).

That thing is gonna have an aneurysm if a Southerner comes along.  Good ol’ voice recognition…

I support this kind of technology because language is the last true barrier left to humanity. Planes and broadband have torn down the barriers of distance, but even online we are still segregated by language (2ch for Japanese, Sino for Chinese, Reddit for Americans, etc). Anything that reduces barriers between societies and cultures will serve to increase understanding and hopefully lower the chance for conflict and war. 

It would (or should I say “It will be”) absolutely fantastic when software interpreting/translation becomes a viable reality. The existence of different languages is a nuisance. It is not something to be celebrated. It will be great when everybody can easily understand what everybody else is saying or writing. Bring it on !