The world of language learning startups is going international. Today, Berlin-based Babbel, which creates online and mobile-based language learning courses, is buying PlaySay, a TC Disrupt finalist that focused on creating mobile apps that turned the process of learning languages into a game — modelled somewhat loosely on the back-and-forth paired-play concept of “Draw Something.” Financial terms… → Read More
Learning a new language can be tedious and frustrating. Thankfully, a new generation of startups are leveraging advances in mobile and web technologies to make that process more enjoyable and rewarding. Today, companies like Livemocha, PlaySay, Voxy, italki, MindSnacks and Duolingo provide increasingly viable alternatives to traditional language-learning software — the Rosetta Stones of the… → Read More
A lot of mobile language software wants to be the equivalent of an automatic universal translation app, listening to spoken phrases and translating them using natural language processing and audio recognition, but we’re not there yet. Enter Mantaphrase, a startup with a vision of quick, focused conversations across languages that help travellers get exactly the info they need quickly. → Read More
The education market — as Apple and others have noticed — represents a huge mobile opportunity, and today sees the launch of an app that plays on that potential, with added gamification and social twists. PlaySay, a “social language learning” startup, today debuts a free, new Spanish/English iPhone app — along with a licensing deal with HarperCollins and an additional $250,000 in funding… → Read More
Rosetta Stone, for those unfamiliar, are the makers of the oft-advertised language learning software of the same name. The 20-year-old Virginia-based company went public in 2009, and today makes learning software for over 30 languages that is used in over 150 countries. Yet, in spite of its brand recognition, a number of translation and language-learning startups have begun to pop up with savvy… → Read More
Language learning is arguably still a hot topic in the realm of internet startups and with a market that is said to be reaching more than $90 billion it is even more interesting. But only few manage to attract users, such as Busuu, who is now seeing 10 million signed up users. Bratislava based Startup Lingibli, also wants to help you learn a new language, strictly speaking one of 18 languages that… → Read More
Our clichés need updating. “Axe to grind”? How many people still regularly use axes, axes that need grinding? Why not something like “hard drive to defrag”? “Best thing since sliced bread”? Why not “best thing since the iPad”? We are surrounded by technology, but our language still reflects life on the farm. Let’s do this! → Read More
A recent patent application by Apple details the company’s interest in expanding the number of gestures its multi-touch displays can recognize. Right now, there’s but so many gestures you can tap out on your iPhone or MacBook Pro: zoom in and out, rotate, pan around, etc. This patent, which is called ”gesture learning,” shows that Apple has developed an entire language of sorts… → Read More
If you read CrunchGear regularly, you know what a dongle is, what a mobile is, and what a torrent is. Congratulations, you speak Nerdic. According to the Telegraph, anyway, that’s the name of the language of modern technology. Modems, WiFi, and other words make up this secondary language. We personally think it’s a stupid name, we like “Virginglish” better. What’s… → Read More
A couple years ago, I became a member of a crowdsourcing outfit called Cambrian House just as it was getting started. The premise of the site is basically that you submit an idea for some sort of web-based service and then other members of the site vote on your idea. The best ideas get funded and then you can work on certain projects and gain a percentage of whatever profit the idea makes based on… → Read More
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