Windows Phone App of the Day: iSpeak
iSpeak, named Windows App of the Month, is an award winning speech and text translator that allows people of different backgrounds to communicate with ease.
This app allows users all over the world to defeat the language barrier for just $0.99! When not surfing the web and writing reviews of uber-trendy apps, I am constantly struggling to exchange words with the eclectic New York City population, my Greek stepsister, and my two Dominican roommates. Plus, the guy at my bagel shop only speaks Portuguese. My dry cleaner only speaks Korean. My manicurists only gossip about me in Chinese.
I can only imagine my manicurist’s surprise when I am able to say, “Yes, I know my cuticles are gross, but would you please stop laughing at them?” in perfect Chinese or quip, “Look, I realize my jeans are covered in beer. Please wash them on cold,” in effortless Korean. Thanks to iSpeak, I can now be sassy in over 15 languages.
Pros
- Save your conversations
- Send text translations via SMS, Email, or share it on social media
- Human accents
- Unlimited text translations
- Offers free trial
- Languages include but are not limited to:
- English
- French
- Italian
- German
- Spanish
- Japanese
- Chinese
- Dutch
- Korean
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Russian
Cons
- Limited to 20 speech translations per day (both in trial and full versions)
- Complex user interface
How It Works
Speech Translator
iSpeak is a speech translator that allows two people who speak completely different languages to carry on a normal conversation. Start by selecting your desired languages and rotate your phone upside down to start speaking-iSpeak takes advantage of your phone’s accelerometer!
After the beep, speak clearly into the phone’s microphone and turn your phone sideways to see what you said.
Here’s where it starts to get a little acrobatic. Once your speech has been dictated, turn the phone to the left 180 degrees to see the translation.
Your translated speech will learn from your voice and automatically say the translation aloud. Turn the phone upside down one more time to bring up the microphone and continue the conversation.
If you make a mistake, simply hit “Cancel” to try again. Click “Save” to save the conversation, which will prove super handy, guys, when you refuse to ask for directions.
To end the conversation, simply return the phone to its original upright position. (Dizzy yet??)
To view past conversations, scroll to the right two screens and select the conversation you wish to view, which appears like an SMS conversation. You can delete these at any time.
Text Translator:
Select the languages your wish to translate, i.e. from English to Spanish. Then, simply input the text you want translated and tap the translate box to translate the text.
You can then send these translations via SMS, Email, or share on Facebook, and there’s no limit to how much you can translate per day.
Conclusion
iSpeak is an extremely handy tool for world travelers (or people who frequent the deep South), international business professionals, exchange students, and others. iSpeak sets itself apart from the slew of translation apps available by allowing two people of different cultures have a normal, albeit slow, conversation.
While there is a limit of 20 speech translations per day in both the free trial and full versions, and the user interface would make even a professional gymnast dizzy, the true appeal lies in the ability to have face-to-face conversations with ease. Despite the translation limit, iSpeak sets itself apart from other translators with this “handy” feature. Text translations are unlimited, so users can text and email freely. With SMS, Email, and social media capabilities, iSpeak makes communicating in different languages via text extremely simple.
