Franklin Electronic Publishers today announced that the company has produced the world's first comprehensive cross platform speaking translator card under its agreement with Mobile Digital Media (MDM) of Mountain View, California, the largest publisher of branded consumer software on expansion media for Palm and Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC devices and Nokia phones. This state-of-the-art five language speaking translator, aptly named Audio Translator, runs on a MultiMediaCard that can be used on any mobile device running the Palm OS, Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC, or Nokia Series 60 operating systems and equipped with SD/MultiMediaCard expansion slots.
This "plug-and-play" multimedia data card can translate over 40,000 words and 5,000-phrases bi-directionally from and to English, Spanish, French, German and Italian. For mobile devices with audio capabilities, the translator will also "speak" words and phrases, helping users more easily learn correct pronunciations of the words in any of the five languages. The new product was produced under a development agreement between the two companies under which MDM leverages the content of Franklin's Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, and Franklin Thesaurus in a mobile data card as well as the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia in the same format.
"For years, Franklin translator products have helped countless travelers more easily communicate while away from home. We have worked with MDM to take our core translator technology and expand the number of mobile device platforms on which it is available. As a result, travelers, bilingual families, and business users that carry PalmOS, Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC, or Nokia Series 60 Symbian OS-based devices can now benefit from Franklin's language technology and experience in making useful information convenient and portable," said Barry J. Lipsky, President and CEO of Franklin.
According to Barry Cottle, Chief Executive Officer of MDM, Franklin's success in the European communities with its own line of translators helped fuel the decision to publish the five-language translator in the U.S. and abroad.
"With nearly one in five Americans speaking a language other than English at home, we feel there is a large market for easy-to-use five-way, bi-directional language translation," said Cottle. "When we bring the translator to the worldwide market this month, mobile device users everywhere will have a perfect solution to the increasingly complicated task of communicating clearly wherever they are."
Franklin Electronic Publishers is the worldwide leader in handheld information, having sold more than 29,000,000 electronic books.
Mobile Digital Media (MDM) is the largest publisher of AAA, branded consumer software for PalmOS, Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC and Nokia Series 60 devices on plug-and-play expansion media. MDM entertainment, productivity, reference, and utility products are available at more than 9,500 retail outlets nationwide, and at top online PDA retail sites.