Real Voice-to-Voice Translator, It's Atsui (Hot)!

Who knows how many lives this new Japanese-to-English voice translator will save at sketchy sushi joints? Developed by Sharp and IBM jointly, the PalmPilot-looking handheld listens to what you say, translates it, then “speaks” it back in Japanese. I certainly hope it works well, as comedic mishaps based on poor translations aren’t funny if they’re happening to you.

They’re probably working on a miniaturized version that you wear in the ear, a la Star Trek, meaning everyone will speak English good. Perfect! Look for this guy to retail around $500 sometime early next year, both here and in the land of the rising sun.

Sharp and IBM Developed Small Voice-To-Voice Translator [I4U News]