There are people who are afraid of flying, and that is possibly the main problem when going to some very distant destinations. However, there are other people whose biggest problem lies in communication, since not being able to order a simple coffee is difficult for them. What if you had a device with which you can easily communicate with another person regardless of the language speak?
FluenTalk T1 mini, the instant pocket translator
El FluenTalk T1 Mini It is a tool that could be the holy grail for many travelers. It is a small device with a screen that has an Android operating system (although completely modified) that is capable of capturing a person's dialogue or phrases to perform an instant translation.
The idea is that it allows you to start a more or less fluid conversation with a person who does not speak your language, but with the advantage of translating everything that is said for both one and the other. For example, imagine you are in China and you need to ask a store if they have bottled water. Simply press the device's listening button to ask the question in Spanish, and the FluenTalk T1 Mini will recite your translation into the desired language.
In the same way, you can press the button at the moment the other person speaks, and thus receive the translation and understand that “third aisle at the back, next to the juices".
What languages do you offer?
The device software is capable of working with 36 languages different, being the following:
- English
- Chino
- Japanese
- Korean
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Russian
- Portuguese
- Italian
- Dutch
- Danish
- Norwegian
- Finnish
- Greek
- Ukrainian
- Czech
- Slovak
- Croatian
- Bulgaro
- Romanian
- Slovenian
- Thai
- Vietnamese
- Indonesian
- telugu
- tamil
- Indio
- Arab
- Turkish
- Catalan
- Polish
- Hungarian
- Hebrew
- Cantonese
In addition to offering all these languages, the software is capable of offering a total of 88 different accents, for example being able to choose between British, Irish, American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and many other accents in the case of the English language. The possibilities are enormous.
How exactly does it work?
The device uses an internet connection so that the translation is as perfect as possible, also using the connection to perform voice recognition and a much more accurate transcription of the conversation. For this it has WiFi connection so you can connect to any wireless point, although an unlimited data connection is also included, the first annual subscription of which is included with the product.
Once your data subscription ends, you will be able to pay monthly or annually for data service priced at $14,90 per month or $44,90 per year. Anyway, you could connect the device with your phone through thetering and enjoy internet connection again on the translator.
What happens if there is no internet?
Another of the included functions is designed for when you have connectivity problems. Its about offline translation mode, a modality with which you can download a total of 4 language packs in the device's memory so that you can count on them at any time.
In our tests, we noticed that the translation was not as accurate, since voice identification was not performed as well as when there is an internet connection. The request that the software makes to the servers may analyze the data better than what the device can do locally, hence the small differences in translation.
In any case, the result is perfectly useful, and will help you translate conversations without fear of losing the internet. The problem is that offline mode only includes 8 languages, but considering that there are English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, German, Spanish and Russian, you will have more than enough. Of course, you can only translate Chinese and English into the rest of the languages, but not mix them all with everyone. For example, in offline mode you will not be able to translate from Russian to Spanish, only from Russian to Chinese or from Russian to English, so we can say that the offline mode is better designed for those who speak Chinese or English.
Translating the landscape
Finally, another very interesting way is the one that makes use of the small camera which includes on his back. This is a translator with OCR text recognition, which will be able to identify text in a photo and offer you a translation of that. It is great for indication signs, restaurant menus and any type of printed text, but you should keep in mind that you need an internet connection to use this function.
An inseparable travel companion
After testing the device for several weeks, we can say that it is an almost essential accessory for travel. Its compact size is great for carrying in your backpack, and the 1-year data plan included in the price is a tremendous help when traveling to remote places.
The battery has suffered quite a bit, possibly due to data connectivity, and does not usually last longer than 3 days despite the screen being off. Three days is more than enough to have a full day of translations, but you should keep in mind that you will need to charge it at night at the hotel to go calmly the next day.
With a price of $169, the FluenTalk T1 mini is a fantastic instant translator that should be in every traveler's suitcase in the world.