We've already seen the idea of data-to-voice translation passed around, but NEC's latest software is far beyond the drawing board. Reportedly, the firm has developed a system that can understand around 50,000 Japanese words and translate them to English text on the mobile's display in just a second or two. The software was made compact enough to "operate on a small microchip mounted in a cellphone," and was designed especially to help users convert common travel phrases. Notably, it would be technically possible to make the English translation vocal, but according to NEC spokesman Mitsumasa Fukumoto, the firm isn't looking into that possibility at the moment. No word on when we'd see this technology hit the masses, nor if any other language combinations were in the works, but this would certainly make touring English-speaking locales a lot less strenuous for Japanese speakers.

[Via Physorg]

Here's a bizarre one. ZTE's latest mobile not only sports a sleek, black enclosure and 3G connectivity, but also includes a "dual level, multilingual Fastap keypad based on Digit Wireless' Fastap Keypad Global Language Platform." As you'd expect, both English-speaking individuals and those proficient in Romanized Ukrainian and Russian should have no trouble entering text messages, as the keypad clearly sports both Cyrillic and Latin-based letters. Although the minutiae of this here device has yet to be unveiled, we do know that it'll be distributed by PEOPLEnet -- the first national provider of 3G communications in Ukraine -- and while nothing was written in stone, ZTE also suggested that the Evolution could be used by "international operators for authoritative certificates and assurances to overseas markets." Click on through for a more detailed shot of the bilingual mobile.

[Via Slashphone]

¿Puede traducirme esto, por favor? Verizon is looking to facilitate awkward, painfully slow conversations between you and the Spanish speaker of your choosing, launching a handful of language tools through its Get It Now service. First up is the Merriam-Webster Spanish-English Dictionary, offering over 100,000 translations for $3.49 per month. Next is AppAbove's Spanish Anywhere, a phrase translator with over 1,200 phrases and 5,500 words for $2.99 per month. Other languages are getting love, too -- VOCEL's Living Language learning program lets users practice and hear 600-odd words and phrases in over 20 languages for $3.99 per month. According to Verizon, "If you spot someone on the street speaking Japanese, German or one of 20 different foreign languages found on select Get It Now-enabled Verizon Wireless phones, don't interrupt their class – they're being tutored by VOCEL's Living Language program." Thanks for the heads-up, guys -- we typically stop folks speaking foreign languages on the phone in their tracks and sternly ask them to stop.

[Via textually.org]