Phone Application Instantly Translates Arabic into English
The secret to translating complex Arabic into English can now fit in the palm of your hand.
New state-of-the-art translation software was announced earlier this week, coinciding with the merger of two high-tech companies in the Middle East and the United States.
It’s hoped the software will soon result in quicker and easier translation for government and businesspeople who frequently travel between the two regions.
Sakhr Software, a company that specializes in Arabic speech and language solutions, acquired San Fransisco-based mobile and voice-entry technology company Dial Directions on Tuesday.
The two companies had a pre-existing partnership when they developed a translation application for smartphones, such as the BlackBerry or iPhone.
The application enables users to speak either Arabic or English into their phone, hear the audio translation and see the text translation.
Company spokeswoman Tuyen Ho said the phone application, which was also launched Tuesday, is “very accurate” and has received positive feedback from potential users from the U.S. government.
“It’s a very new innovation,” she said from the company’s San Francisco office.
“I like to compare it to a pocket dictionary and having your own personal human translator with you. Our software is more like the latter.”
Ho said current Arabic translators force users to stick to pre-determined phrases, whereas this software allows people to speak freely and still receive an accurate translation.
“This is an innovation that is meeting a need. The need is that there is a lack of Arabic speakers who are skilled enough for special situations and able to actually go out to dangerous situations. . . . Having this translation ability in the palm of your hand opens up the opportunity to provider better security to this community.”
Currently, the application is being tested by the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
This software is only available to U.S. government and business users, but a consumer version is expected to be released by the end of the summer.
Ho said the application will be available to Canadians online.
Financial terms of Tuesday’s merger were not publicly disclosed.
Linda Nguyen
Canwest News Service