Foreign Travel Just Got Easier
Imagine traveling through Thailand for the first time … and understanding what others are saying. You even understand the other tourists – whether they’re speaking in Thai, German, or Russian! There’s no more frantic rustling through travel phrasebooks. You don’t need to hire a personal translator. You don’t even have to stare into your smartphone screen app. You can give full attention to the person who’s speaking.
A Little Earbud that Does Wonders
Clik is a wireless earbud from Manchester-based company, Mymanu. The Bluetooth-compatible device promises translation of 37 different languages in real time. Without wires, and without hiring experts.
It fits right into your ear and identifies the language being spoken. Then it instantly converts everything into your own language. If you’re a Doug Adams fan, you may be thinking of the babel fish. In case you never read his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, that’s the tiny creature that fed off brain waves to translate alien language. It smoothed galactic travel … except when it also translated insults and accidentally started wars.
Thankfully, the Clik isn’t yellow and leech like – and it won’t make you say “Eurgh” when you stick it in your ear. On the contrary, the sleek, high-tech device comes in black and white models. Choose from among 3 silicone tips for a comfortable fit and the best listening experience.
Clik Is More Than a Translator
The space-age earbuds also have the following features:
- Smartphone notifications delivered to your ear … so hands are free for other tasks
- Live music streaming with the company’s free music app
- Connection with Google Assistant and Siri for iOS
- Noise Cancellation for better sound quality
- A protective storage case that doubles as a recharger … so your Clik earbuds will always be ready
Control functions at the ear with taps. Customize its pink, green, and blue LED light rings. Choose colors for your favorite friends, relatives, and coworkers as you would choose ringtones on your mobile phone.
Better Sound Technology for Bluetooth
Clik delivers high CD-quality sound with HD Sound and aptX Audio technology. AptX improves typical Bluetooth sound quality with more efficient data streaming.
The crowd-funded project recently met its Kickstarter goal. It’s now in beta testing before launch. Customers can pre-order with delivery beginning May 2017. The price is only 155 pounds – about $192 USD at the writing of this post. I’ve got mine on order!
Hot Competition
U.S-based Waverly Labs is following closely with their Pilot Smart Earpiece Language Translator wireless earbuds. The company has already raised $4.5 million on Indiegogo and developed beta versions. The product is available for pre-order for about $249 USD.
The Pilot can now translate Latin based languages. These now include French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The company plans to add Germanic, Hindi, Arabic, Slavic, and East Asian languages soon.
Waverly has already pre-sold over 20,000 Pilot Earpiece sets. The company advertises delivery beginning in summer 2017.
Instant, wearable translation is just one more way technology is bringing us together … though the Clik and Pilot don’t translate alien poetry yet … and you still might not know what your teenagers are saying.