Star Trek: The next generation of gadgets
According to National Geographic, every 14 days another language passes into oblivion. New languages are created at a much slower rate. Usually, new languages evolve naturally from older languages over time. On the other hand, sometimes new languages are simply created from fiction. These languages ...
Talking Translator
Have you ever been stuck in a foreign country desperately wanting to ask a local a question but limited by your language skills? Well the iPhone and iPod touch from Apple in conjunction with Coolgorilla have the solution. Coolgorilla develops software applications for iPods and Mobile phones. They h...
Texts: A New Tool in the Struggle for Language Diversity?
Text messaging is quickly becoming one of the most common methods of communication worldwide. In fact, last year in the US, text messages surpassed voice calls in popularity. However, the Wall Street Journal notes that texting can pose problems for some non-English speakers. Most of the time, when p...
New spelling in Brazil
Could you imagine what would happen if you had to adopt a new set of spelling and grammar rules? Well that’s exactly what has just happened in Brazil....
My friend can speak that language…
… So why do I need a translator? During one of the medical industries biggest exhibitions, Medica 2008, we spoke to hundreds of people regarding their translation requirements. Surprisingly many of the companies confirmed that their translation is done by employees who happen to speak the fore...
Creating a More Linguistically Diverse Internet
The Internet has long been dominated by English-language content, but that may change over the next few years. The New York Times reports that many companies are responding to increased demand for content in languages other than English by translating existing online content and providing new tools ...
Malaysians Debate Language
Malaysian politicians, schools, activists and parents have been engaged in a furious debate over what language to use for instructing the nation’s schoolchildren in math and science. Now, MSNBC reports that negotiations between the different camps have reached a standstill. The issue is emotio...
Online Social Site Offers Machine Translation
One of the earliest Utopian promises of the Internet was that it would connect the world and give different cultures a greater understanding of each other. Imagine if you could sit at a coffee shop and talk to people from across the world, and hear what they have to say. In theory, at least, everyon...
Don’t Jump…. Get yourself a donkey!
Translating documents is not an easy business, a word can mean one thing in one language but something different in another if translated literally. When translating important life saving information leaflets it is essential to proofread the text to make sure it reads correctly and fluently....