Google Android Language Rectifier

This morning Google introduced automatic verbal language translation on their Android 'Froyo' platform. Speak into the phone in English, request that the translation be in French, and voila, the phone will speak your question or comment in the specified language.

In his 1911 novel Ralph 124c 41 +, Hugo Gernsback wrote about a language rectifier for use in telephony:

"I beg your pardon, but "Central" seems to have made another mistake..." Her reply indicated that the mistake of "Central" was a little out of the ordinary, for he had been swung onto the Intercontinental Service, as he at once understood when she said, "Pardon, Monsieur, je ne comprends pas!"

He immediately turned the small shining disc of the Language Rectifier on his instrument till the pointer rested on "French."

"The service mistakes are very annoying," he heard her say in perfect English.

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