SO AT LAST! Much thanks to Google, IBM, Waverly Labs, and Mymanu for tearing down the language barrier that has hindered us from the privilege of enjoying each other's authentic content from across the globe! Subtitles are great, but how about being able to simply pop-in some pocket-sized ear buds that will translate language in real-time. In other words, rather than having to read subtitles (which can be a minor distraction from the visuals), you can just pop-in the translator earbuds and enjoy the content in its full authenticity- the original language in which it was meant to be heard in. This is super great because it's not just about seeing content, but it's also about experiencing.
Otessa (DC Web Fest founder) recently gave a brilliant presentation at the Bilbao Web Fest where she discussed the rapid evolution of technology. Here's the dilemma: 50% of internet content is in English, only 20% of the world's population has some English skills, and 80% of the web is in only 10 languages. Problematic, right? Check out the internet maps below. The image to the left shows the massive use of the internet at different times across the globe, whereas the image to the right represents the internet as a massive universe, with numerous strands (users) intertwined. That being said, these translator ear buds are a major game changer for all festivals (and people) across the globe!
