Advances in artificial intelligence, cloud services, mobile computing, and ubiquitous Internet connectivity promise to streamline many applications and make them usable under all conditions.
Timekettle’s WT2 Edge translator earbuds are an example of this fusion of different technologies. One of several devices Timekettle offers, the WT2 Edge does what was considered sci-fi not so long ago. It’s automated real-time seamless translation for dozens of languages.
While not a perfect translation device (machine translation still has fundamental problems that require scientific breakthroughs in AI), WT2 Edge demonstrates the power of combining the right technologies. It can also be an essential tool for frequent travelers and business people who frequently meet people who don’t speak the language.
What is WT2 Edge
The WT2 Edge are earbuds that look a lot like Apple AirPods. However, WT2 Edge is designed specifically for translation. The earbuds come with a companion app that supports translation for 40 languages and 93 accents covering most of the world.
How you use your earphones depends on which translation mode you’re using (more on that later). But most of the time, Tsubomi puts one on and gives the other to the person he’s talking to. Each speaks in their own language and listens to the other’s translated responses through earphones.
This provides a seamless experience when talking to people who don’t speak your language. One of the advantages of Timekettle WT2 Edge over other translation services and products is support for simultaneous speech and translation. This makes for a more natural experience, especially when you’re having conversations that people might jump in and talk about. Others pause.
It’s intuitive to use, but there’s a lot of interesting technology at work behind the scenes. The earbuds use directional microphones and active and ambient noise cancellation to pick up the right voice and filter out noise. The Timekettle app uses AI-powered text-to-speech technology to transcribe spoken words in different accents. A machine learning algorithm (on device or in the cloud) translates the text into the target language and produces spoken words. This will be played on the other earbud.
At the same time, the Timekettle app offers automated transcription and translation, presenting text in a way both conversational parties can see and read. This is a lot of useful features packed into one device and app.
Apart from that, the Timekettle WT2 Edge has specs you would expect from a high-end earphone. The earbuds are sturdy, solid, and fit snugly in your ears. The device’s battery lasts 3 hours and the charging case can be charged for up to 12 hours.
One important thing to know is that WT2 Edge only supports translation. It cannot be used for calling or listening to music. Some people criticize this aspect, but I actually think it’s a decent feature (more on that in the business section).
translation mode
The Timekettle app has four modes of operation:
Simultaneous mode: This is for WT2 Edge earphones only. When working in this mode, each speaker can wear his one of the earbuds and both can speak at the same time. The earbuds automatically pick up the right voice, and the AI system automatically transcribes, translates, and synthesizes speech with a small delay.
Touch mode: This mode is similar to concurrent mode. The difference is that each speaker must tap the earbuds before speaking and tap again to stop translating. This means that the speakers have to take turns speaking and the conversation is not as natural as in simultaneous mode. However, it also reduces confusion and improves translation quality.
Speaker mode: In this mode, the user is not conducting a two-way conversation, but is conversing with an audience that speaks another language. Earbuds capture the speaker’s voice. The translated audio will be played on your phone via the Timekettle app.
Listen mode: It is the opposite of speaker mode. Here you are listening to TV programs, meetings or conversations. The earphones will play the translation.
The Timekettle app also has some nifty features group chat Ability to support up to 50 participants, each speaking their own language. The application translates the conversation into each user’s native language. Users can enter text or speak into the WT2 Edge earbuds.
Besides different translation modes, the Timekettle app has some other useful features like an archive of all your conversations. You can send the transcription to email or phone storage for use in other applications.
AI-powered translation
One of the things that intrigued me was the AI system working behind the scenes on the Timekettle WT2 Edge. The technology is proprietary and there are few details about the machine learning models used behind the scenes. We use 6 translation engines, including our own.
I originally thought the application was using multiple engines as an ensemble. However, according to what the company told me, Timekettle has a sort of ranking system that selects the best engine for each language pair. We expect the company’s proprietary language engine to improve as usage increases.
The Timekettle app also supports offline translation for 8 languages. Of course, offline translation is not as good as cloud-based AI, but it can help if you are stuck in a situation without internet access. provided as
Pricing and business model
The WT2 Edge is expensive at $350. However, this particular model was designed for a market segment that requires translations very often, and in particular the company has put extra effort into making the earbuds useful in environments with a lot of noise and cross. so it’s worth buying. -Talk. The quality of the hardware gives them an advantage in areas where generic earbuds don’t work.
I think this is also why Timekettle made a good decision to dedicate WT2 Edge to translation. The app and hardware have addressed certain issues and have worked very well.
But I’m still unsure about the company’s overall business model (this is because my product manager interferes with my consumer experience). Whenever you buy a product that has an online element (such as a mobile app connected to a cloud server), one thing you want to know is how the company will continue to pay for running the server if: about it. The customer he makes a one-time payment.
why is this important? If the company goes bankrupt, the earphones and the app will be useless. See the fate of products like Anki and Kuri. It’s a cute home robot that cloud brains shut down after their company went bankrupt.
From what I’ve seen, Timekettle currently covers the cost with high prices for AI translation devices. However, increasing the cost of the device will shrink the overall market it can serve. The company can collect additional payments from offline language packs, but I don’t believe that product line is a good source of income.
At the same time, Timekettle is expanding its market by releasing new devices such as the recent Fluentalk T1 handheld translation device. Adding new devices is a good solution, but not a long-term solution for a niche market. Even Apple is expanding its recurring payments business. We look forward to seeing what other subscription services Timekettle releases in the future.
Overall, I think the WT2 Edge is a great AI-powered translation device. Given its price, it may not be for everyone, but it serves a special audience very well.
