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Microsoft Launches Own 'Babel Fish'

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

September 10, 2007, 5:39 PM

While Altavista has largely disappeared from the minds of most Internet users since the emergence of Google, the Web property does still have a very popular service: its Babel Fish translator. Now, Microsoft is testing its own translation offering under the Windows Live umbrella.

Like Babel Fish, Windows Live Translator is based on technology from Systran. Users can input a block of text to translate, or select a Web site to translate. There is an option for "computer related content" which keeps the service from translating technology-related words. Little else is known about Live Translator, but Microsoft frequently tests new offerings under Windows Live, some of which survive while others don't.

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By ogman

edited Sep 12, 2007 - 11:25 AM

SoftieSpeak to English:

Innovation - Acquisition

Value added feature - Bug

Release to manufacturing - Beta

Windows Vista - Windows ME SP12

Windows Live Search 2.0 - We couldn't buy Yahoo!

Linux - Evil Spawn from Hell

Sun, IBM, DOJ - See above (well, maybe not Sun, at least for today)

Score: 0

By Avion Airplane

posted Sep 12, 2007 - 9:43 AM

haha funny .... but true

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Sep 12, 2007 - 11:24 AM

Mostly meant to be funny. Thanks.

Score: 0

By terminalx

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 9:52 AM

Who said they are innovating anything, they are using existing tech to put into their own services so you have all of your tools in one batch.

Instead of random offerings from many third party companies.

The majority of the average user wants everything altogether, hence why AOL Yahoo, and Google all offer a unified installer.

Score: 0

By zenarcher

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 6:49 AM

MS...the innovation leader. What will they think of next? Maybe reinvent Solitaire??

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 9:55 AM

Are you kidding? Best new feature in Vista, Direct3D Solitaire, baby!

Yeah!

/sarcasm

Score: 0

By 9h0s7

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 9:17 AM

buying competitors or people with better software then you is innovation? Or is that their innovation. No one else can do it like MS. :) (and they put spider solitaire on xp lol)

Score: 0

By zenarcher

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 1:05 PM

I was just being sarcastic there...:)

Score: 0

By shicaca

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 8:34 AM

nah they already cornered the market in that one.

Next they'll go after printers.

Then copiers

Then telecommunications systems

Then, maybe, if we're lucky *pees a little in his pants* they'll take over a few telcos and cable providers.

Score: 0

By nellolivia

edited Sep 11, 2007 - 4:07 AM

My site offers the same system from Systran but with the advantage that you can add it to your own website with just a small piece of HTML code.

The web address is http://www.appliedlangua...m/trans/free_quick.aspx

Score: 0

By Mystiqq

edited Sep 11, 2007 - 1:33 AM

Still wondering what the hell is "Windows Live". Sounds extremely uninteresting so im too lazy to find it out.

Score: 0

By prot1

edited Sep 11, 2007 - 8:06 PM

Thank you for your contribution to the discussion?

Score: 0

By Paul Skinner

posted Sep 10, 2007 - 6:02 PM

Ah language translators.

The tool of cheats for language coursework.

Score: 0

By shicaca

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 8:35 AM

haha the funnier thing is that teachers can *so* tell if you're getting your stuff from those places b/c they can't conjugate or translate worth the crap.

You can get past it for Spanish/German/French I, but after that you're screwed haha.

I have, on that same note, used it many times for random verbs and such ;)

Score: 0

By siryak

posted Sep 10, 2007 - 7:47 PM

Exactly lol.

Score: 0

By mrow

posted Sep 10, 2007 - 5:55 PM

There are way too many frames and stuff around the translated page. Needs to be more like Babel Fish or Google Languages that just puts a small bar at the top of the page.

Score: 0

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