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Sony Unveils PSP Translator

Posted by CmdrTaco on Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:36 AM
from the essential-survival-toold-for-tokyo dept.
Sony Entertainment Games
jonerik writes "Sony has released software for its popular PSP handheld gaming device called TalkMan. In development for some time now, the program currently stores about 3,000 conversation patterns in English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. 'A user may speak the words "Koko-wa-dokodesuka?" (Where is this?) in Japanese, for example, into the device's microphone, upon which a cartoon bird acting as an interpreter will pop up and start talking in the user's language. The bird is also able to translate the reply into Japanese.' A European release for TalkMan is expected in the spring."
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  • potential potential... (Score:5, Funny)

    by oringo (848629) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:37AM (#14615886)
    Now I don't have to rely on the stupid dubs when watching hentai movies on psp...

  • And if you speak the words... (Score:5, Funny)

    by ale3ns (453301) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:38AM (#14615896)
    "Koko-wa-dokodesuka-rootkit?"

    It replies:

    "what rootkit?"

  • I can see it now... (Score:5, Funny)

    by AKAImBatman (238306) <akaimbatman.gmail@com> on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:41AM (#14615922) Homepage Journal
    'A user may speak the words "Koko-wa-dokodesuka?" (Where is this?) in Japanese, for example, into the device's microphone, upon which a cartoon bird acting as an interpreter will pop up and start talking in the user's language.

    Popular phrases used to test the device are "Polly wants a cracker?", "I thought I saw a putty-tat!", and "I did! I did see a putty-tat!" To date, most American users are put off by the device's inability to translate "putty-tat", a common term for the average house cat. Sony has promised to take a look at this issue.

    • Re:I can see it now...Putty-tat (Score:4, Funny)

      by Nom du Keyboard (633989) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:49AM (#14616016)
      most American users are put off by the device's inability to translate "putty-tat"

      Putty-tat is owned by Warner Brothers Studio, part of AOL Time Warner. If you think that ATW is going to license a competing studio -- Sony -- to use their intellectual property then you are crazier than Daffy Duck (also owned by ATW, and emphatically not licensed for use in this Slashdot post.)

  • Bluetooth earpieece.. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:41AM (#14615929)
    It is rumored that the bluetooth ear piece resembles a small yellow fish.. The user by placing the earpiece into their ear canal can now understand all language, and though logic unbeknownst to us, disproves the existance of god.

  • Soon to be followed by (Score:3, Funny)

    by Saint37 (932002) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:42AM (#14615937)
    Next Sony will probably make the announcement that they will own all conversations facilitated by the PSP. They will implement DRM to enforce this. Should you want to playback your conversation, you will need to rent it.

    http://www.commodore69.com/ [commodore69.com]

  • Paperclip? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by XMilkProject (935232) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:43AM (#14615946) Homepage
    This is actually really slick. I hate to support Sony nowadays, but this is exactly the sort of utility that will make hardware like the PSP more useful to people. Hopefully in the near future all our PDA's and Cellphones will be able to translate live as we talk.

    I hope theres an option to have a talking Paperclip though, I'd feel more at home with that. <sarcasm/>

    Let me know when its in a device that will fit in my ear :)
  • Now the PSP gaming networks will be filled with people mangling Japanese, Russian and any of 25 or so Indian languages instead of just English.

    Still, I think it's that people will be able to play video games with people from the other side of the world ("It's night-time by you, right?" "No, noon.") without having to learn another language.

  • News? (Score:5, Informative)

    by CMiYC (6473) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:44AM (#14615953) Homepage
    You've been able to import this from Lik-Sang for quite some time now. In fact, here is their hands on review [lik-sang.com] from Nov.

  • I'm glad (Score:4, Funny)

    by dr_dank (472072) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:46AM (#14615984) Homepage Journal
    A user may speak the words "Koko-wa-dokodesuka?" (Where is this?) in Japanese, for example, into the device's microphone, upon which a cartoon bird acting as an interpreter will pop up and start talking in the user's language. The bird is also able to translate the reply into Japanese.'

    I'm glad that Bonzi Buddy has been able to find a new job.

  • no wonder it understands twice as much japanese (Score:3, Insightful)

    by dhardisty (914014) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:48AM (#14616010) Homepage
    "The technology is said to be able to translate some 50,000 Japanese words and 25,000 English words." I'm not surprised this thing was invented in japan -- since japanese only has 5 basic vowel sounds and no consonant clusters, it must be easier for the software to encode. That, and it makes sense to support the language of the people you are marketing it to.

  • Old news (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    This game has already been on shelves for a long time in Japan. I suppose it could be used as a translator, but it's definitely not useful as something a person could quickly pull out to get a translation. That talking bird is annoying as hell -- think going through 3 menus just to get to clippy. Barf. You also need to have an awkward mic plugged into the USB port that renders all carrying cases useless.

    What's cool about this game isn't its ability to translate, but moreso its capacity to correct pronun

  • Futurama (Score:5, Funny)

    by Roj Blake (931541) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:49AM (#14616013)
    Unfortunately so far it only translates into an incomprehensible dead language.

    Speaks into PSP: Konichiwa
    Reply from PSP: Bonjour
  • My hovercraft is full of eels.

  • European (Score:5, Funny)

    by MagicM (85041) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @11:57AM (#14616110)
    A European release for TalkMan is expected in the spring.

    Oh goodie! I've always wanted to learn to speak European!

  • Does it do Hungarian? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bob McCown (8411) on Wednesday February 01 2006, @12:05PM (#14616207)
    I do not want this tobacconist, it is scratched.
    • Can you query: Where is the p0rn?

      Sure. My Japanese is restricted to what I pick up from anime, but the phrase here was fairly simple:

      'Koko wa doko desu ka'

      'Doko desu ka' means 'where is it?'. Whatever you stick before 'wa' is the it to which 'doko desu ka' refers. 'Koko' is 'here', so the question is effectively 'where is here?' or in better English, 'where is this?'

      So, you want p0rn? Simple. 'P0rn wa doko desu ka'. Except that you'll probably have to spell it in Japanese lettering at some point, so

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