Language Weaver, Inc., a software company developing statistical machine translation software (SMTS) for the automation of human language translation, today announced general availability of its application software upgraded to version 2.4. The significant improvements in this version provide greater functionality for users, as well as more flexibility and the ability to customize additional options for developers and integrators.

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The Localisation Research Centre (LRC) and MultiLingual Computing, Inc., have produced Localization Reader 2004-2005 for the International Third-level Localisation Teaching, Training and Research Network (LttN).

The reader is available in PDF form at http://www.localisation.ie/publications/reader/2004/index.htm and at http://www.tilponline.org/LttN/annual_localisation_reader.shtml

The reader consists of articles published in the magazines MultiLingual Computing & Technology and Localisation Focus from October 2003 through September 2004. It is intended for use by teachers and students of localization and translation.

Localisation Focus is published quarterly by the LRC at the University of Limerick, Ireland. LRC director Reinhard Schäler is its editor.

Localisation Research Centre, University of Limerick, CSIS, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland, Tel: 208-263-8178, Fax: 353-61-20881, E-mail: LRC@ul.ie, Web: http://www.localisation.ie

MultiLingual Computing, Inc., 319 North First Avenue, Suite 2, Sandpoint, ID 83864-1495 USA, Tel: 208-263-8178, Fax: 208-263-6310, E-mail: info@multilingual.com, Web: http://www.multilingual.com

Foreign language translation software producers have made headway into China in a bid to cash in on its growing translation market, which has been fueled by the country’s recent acceptance into the World Trade Organization and the opening up of its markets to foreign competition.

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BBC Wales has developed a computer programme that enables English translations for users of Welsh language websites.

The programme, Vocab, is available free of charge to Welsh-language websites. When users hold the cursor over a word, its translation appears.

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Who needs a pocket translator? Just send an SMS to the TOMP (Translation On Mobile Phones) service from A3UK at 88800 stating the word TOMP followed by the languages to translate from and to (choose among English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch) and then any word or phrase, e.g. TOMP ENGLISH SPANISH TWO PAELLAS PLEASE, and within seconds you’ll receive a reply. e.g. DOS PAELLA POR FAVOR. Hat tip: Smart Mobs.

Ectaco, Inc., the world leader in the development of electronic dictionaries, translators and linguistic software, announces free customization of the SpeechGuard (TM) PD-4. Using technology developed for the U.S. military, the SpeechGuard (TM) PD-4 has been modified to help first responders and others in law enforcement communicate with victims or others who do not speak English.

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Japanese electronics firm NEC has developed a handheld device that enables a user to chat in another language without memorising any words or phrases themselves, and it is likely to be launched in Japan in the next few months.

The system consists of three components – a speech recognition engine, translation software and a voice generator, and is about the same size of a normal mobile and converts spoken Japanese to English and vice versa.

Spoken English or Japanese is recognised and converted into text by the speech recognition engine. The text is then converted from Japanese to English or the other way by translation software and the resulting text is vocalised by a voice synthesiser, and the entire process takes about one second.

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With machine translation, Google is bringing to bear its formidable Web index—which at last count included 6 billion documents, images and items—as well as its computing resources. Google is well-known for having one of the largest clusters of Linux-based servers, which number in the thousands.

Google already provides a Web-page translation feature, but Norvig said it is based on technology from a third party. Its research project is based on homegrown technology that eventually could translate Web pages and links more automatically, he said.

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