ECTACO iTRAVL Multilingual Language Communicator
The first problem many tourists face when visiting a foreign country is the language. Yes, English is an international language that allows you to feel free almost everywhere, but there are places where you’ll not find people who speak it.
With that in mind, ECTACO — a company well-known for its advanced communicators — offers a solution with the Talking 2-Way Multilingual Language Communicator. It’s specially designed for helping tourists understand foreign language speakers and vice-versa.
Talking 2-Way can provide an unbelievable language translation service. This is mainly an english electronic translator, let’s say a two way translator that can translate words or phrases from Chinese, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and back. All you need to do is pronounce the word or phrase and it will instantly provide you with the translation through integrated speakers.
According to ECTACO iTRAVL includes maps with destinations as well.
Detailed maps with destination advice and addresses will help you find your way around in no time. Need a more hands on approach? Now asking for directions has never been easier. The combination of a fully translating Dictionary, PhraseBook and Travel Guide offers a compact and easy to use resource that fits in the palm of your hand.
It uses Windows CE and has a high-resolution touch screen. Besides being an electronic translator it’s also a mp3 player as well which means you can listen to media files and audio books. According to GADGETS-DAILY it costs $499 and comes with 1Gb memory which then can be extended.
Watch the video below to see iTRAVL in action.
Photo © ectaco-phrasebook-russian-japanese-for-pocket-p
Related posts:
What an interesting device! However, its weaknesses are obvious. It works with eight lsanguages from the six thousand or so in the world. It’s not much use in Bulgaria or Bengal. Furthermore, it does not allow you to share views on opera, the price of fresh fruit or your interest in church architecture.
I would like to argue the case for Esperanto as a non-technological solution to the language problem.
Esperanto is a planned language which belongs to no one country or group of states. Take a look at http://www.esperanto.net
Esperanto works! I’ve used it in speech and writing in a dozen countries over recent years.
Indeed, the language has some remarkable practical benefits. Personally, I’ve made friends around the world through Esperanto that I would never have been able to communicate with otherwise. And then there’s the Pasporta Servo , which provides free lodging and local information to Esperanto-speaking travellers in over 90 countries. In the past year I have had guided tours of Berlin and Milan in the planned language. I have discussed philosophy with a Slovene poet, humour on television with a Bulgarian TV producer. I’ve discussed what life was like in East Berlin before the wall came down, how to cook perfect spaghetti, the advantages and disadvantages of monarchy, and so on. I recommend it, not just as an ideal but as a very practical way to overcome language barriers.