4 ms·

"Get real-time translations right in your ear". This immediately made me think of the babelfish from Hitchhiker's Guide. Looking forward to reading some reviews

"Get real-time translations right in your ear". This immediately made me think of the babelfish from Hitchhiker's Guide. Looking forward to reading some reviews of these.

sunnyam 6y ago
If it's anything like the previous generation of Pixel Buds, then the real-time translation comes with a bit of a caveat. It's the same as using Google Translate in conversation mode, but without needing a phone to understand what the other person is saying. For two-way communication you do still need your phone though, because that will display the translation of what you just said back to the person you're speaking to. It's still pretty cool, but it's not the futuristic technology it makes it out to be.
- paulkoer 6y ago
  I guess if both have the pixel buds then you don't necessarily need the phone? I get that its not quite the smooth experience (yet?) that we want it to be but that we're approaching this previously unbelievable futuristic thing is amazing to me!
_ZeD_ 6y ago
still waiting from the altavista one...
retSava 6y ago
Had a Google hangouts meeting with a US and an AU participant, and I'm from Sweden, and amazingly enough Hangouts (or is it Meet now?) can provide close to real-time closed captions (subtitles), with a very high degree of accuracy. It also shows who is saying something, so subs may be, PartA: Who's going? PartB: I'm going. PartC: When is it? What boggles my mind is why it doesn't immediately after the meeting end, Hangout would send you a transcript of the meeting. This would be a crazy USP.
- hvidgaard 6y ago
  My experience with captions is that it fails hilariously when the person speaking is not a native speaker and not completely fluent. You will understand the point they're making with reasonable accuracy, but if you only read the captions you would not have anywhere near the same understanding it at all.
- adrusi 6y ago
  People expect there to be no log for phonecalls, and that extends to video calls. Google might well keep a log for themselves, but if they sent it to participants, they would alienate many of them.
  - retSava 6y ago
    People take notes in meetings all the time, and this Google product is for professionals in meetings, not the consumer product. Sorry for being unclear.
- Foivos 6y ago
  I think the option to save the transcript is available only to the organiser of the call.
  - retSava 6y ago
    I was the organizer but didn't see it. Another coming up in 3 minutes, will look closer this time!
    - Foivos 6y ago
      I checked the online documentation again and there is no mention of recording the live captions now. I am very confident that, a few months ago, this option was there for the call organisers.
rezeroed 6y ago
How long before you get adverts too?

"Get real-time translations right in your ear". This immediately made me think of the babelfish from Hitchhiker's Guide. Looking forward to reading some reviews of these.

sunnyam 6y ago

If it's anything like the previous generation of Pixel Buds, then the real-time translation comes with a bit of a caveat. It's the same as using Google Translate in conversation mode, but without needing a phone to understand what the other person is saying. For two-way communication you do still need your phone though, because that will display the translation of what you just said back to the person you're speaking to. It's still pretty cool, but it's not the futuristic technology it makes it out to be.

paulkoer 6y ago
I guess if both have the pixel buds then you don't necessarily need the phone? I get that its not quite the smooth experience (yet?) that we want it to be but that we're approaching this previously unbelievable futuristic thing is amazing to me!

_ZeD_ 6y ago

still waiting from the altavista one...

retSava 6y ago

Had a Google hangouts meeting with a US and an AU participant, and I'm from Sweden, and amazingly enough Hangouts (or is it Meet now?) can provide close to real-time closed captions (subtitles), with a very high degree of accuracy. It also shows who is saying something, so subs may be, PartA: Who's going? PartB: I'm going. PartC: When is it? What boggles my mind is why it doesn't immediately after the meeting end, Hangout would send you a transcript of the meeting. This would be a crazy USP.

hvidgaard 6y ago
My experience with captions is that it fails hilariously when the person speaking is not a native speaker and not completely fluent. You will understand the point they're making with reasonable accuracy, but if you only read the captions you would not have anywhere near the same understanding it at all.
adrusi 6y ago
People expect there to be no log for phonecalls, and that extends to video calls. Google might well keep a log for themselves, but if they sent it to participants, they would alienate many of them.
- retSava 6y ago
  People take notes in meetings all the time, and this Google product is for professionals in meetings, not the consumer product. Sorry for being unclear.
Foivos 6y ago
I think the option to save the transcript is available only to the organiser of the call.
- retSava 6y ago
  I was the organizer but didn't see it. Another coming up in 3 minutes, will look closer this time!
  - Foivos 6y ago
    I checked the online documentation again and there is no mention of recording the live captions now. I am very confident that, a few months ago, this option was there for the call organisers.

rezeroed 6y ago

How long before you get adverts too?