Timekettle T1 AI translator helps you scale the Tower of Babel

Timekettle's lightweight T1 interpreter has received the AI treatment and will now perform offline translations. But unless you have deep enough pockets, both figuratively and literally, for another device and a frequent need for translation, it's not for you. Timekettle has made a name for itself with its range of translation …

[Primus Secundus Tertius]

Lots of errors

"approximately 90 percent accurate"

That equates to about one mistake in every sentence. OK, it is 90 times better than just guessing, but really it is not very good.

[doublelayer]

Re: Lots of errors

That depends what that number means. Does it mean 90% of words translated correctly, as you appear to be assuming? Does it mean 90% of sentences translated correctly? And when the 10% happens, what happens then? Does it reject the sentence and require you to repeat it? Does it fail to translate a word and repeat the untranslated version? Does it reverse meaning? And how much of the 10% loss is due to speech recognition inaccuracy and how much to translation inaccuracy since the two multiplied together produces the 10% inaccuracy.

These things are not explained, but that doesn't mean we can assume them. The comparison to Google Translate on a phone, for instance, indicates that something this does is working better than that, which leads me to guess that it might be speech recognition because dedicated hardware can design the microphones better than something that includes them for video recording and voice calls, but maybe that will turn out to be wrong and this company has access to better translation software than Google does.

[Doctor Syntax]

Sounds fishy to me.

[AVR]

They do have earbuds available, apparently.

[cyberdemon]

No good for your holiday in China then

Why does it need 4G/LTE at all? I thought it is supposed to be an offline translator. (for 'cloud' translation, there are innumerable phone apps)

WiFi is more than enough for the occasional software update - and personally I'd prefer if it did this over USB or SD card.

And since it uses an eSim, you can't even remove the SIM to force it offline.

So make sure nobody says anything against your local opressive regime...

[Mage]

the built-in SIM means no fiddling with cards

Also means not anonymous, awkward to change operator and some operators not supported.

The eSim is a stupid idea, about control. I even have a watch with a real SIM and real SD Card and replaceable battery.

The SIM card isn't that fiddly and rarely needs changed.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: the built-in SIM means no fiddling with cards

"The eSim is a stupid idea, about control."

Nope, not at all.

One significant idea behind an eSim (or iSIM) is the ability to have more than a single SIM in a device without needing to have physical space to hold multiple physical SIM cards (which would impact on device size and device splashproof/waterproof ability).

Another significant idea behind eSIMs is the ability to provision a SIM almost immediately (i.e. without having to wait for a physical SIM card to be delivered/obtained) - this opens up the potential for things like obtaining a local operator SIM when you arrive in a country (i.e. posters with QR codes at airport baggage collection areas so you can sign up whilst waiting for your luggage).

Just because you personally don't see a need for eSIMs doesn't make it a stupid idea.

[Mage]

Re: significant idea behind an eSim

"ability to provision a SIM almost immediately" — Have an eSim as well as physical SIM. Such phones exist. I have one and I don't object to the optional eSim.

"without needing to have physical space to hold multiple physical SIM cards (which would impact on device size and device splashproof/waterproof ability)." — Apple style excuses. I've several dual SIM phones no bigger than phones (two take SD Card on the same tray) with eSim only and with no less battery capacity. There are phones with eSim that are not waterproof and I've had a waterproof gadget with SD Card.

I've heard all the Apple arguments for ditching 3.5mm jack socket, SIM, no user swap battery etc. All marketing.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: significant idea behind an eSim

"I have one and I don't object to the optional eSim."

Ok, that wasn't clear to me from your original post, I thought you were objecting to eSims in general.

"I've heard all the Apple arguments for ditching 3.5mm jack socket, SIM, no user swap battery etc. All marketing."

Not necessarily. It is hard to make a device waterproof, not just splashproof, when it has external connections/sockets and an (easily) removable back. That is a technical consideration.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: significant idea behind an eSim

I'll take splashproof over waterproof please, if splashproof means I can replace the battery with minimal or no tools.

For the record, my phone has an esim and a conventional sim socket. The esim was useful for a Japanese sim on a recent trip - roaming from the UK was ridiculously priced. And while I'm mentioning that, I *don't* recommend buying and installing an esim through the "klook" app... I ended up wasting holiday and having to find wifi to communicate with them through whatsapp to send me a new esim via a QR code instead, because their app botched the esim installation.