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1. taurat+(OP)[view] [source] 2025-06-02 22:45:13
> I snapped a photo of a bistro's daily specials hand-written on a blackboard in Chinese, copied the text right out of the photo, translated it into English, learned how to pronounce the menu item I wanted, and ordered some dinner.

> Two years ago

This functionality was available in 2014, on either an iPhone or android. I ordered specials in Taipei way before Covid. Here's the blog post celebrating it:

https://blog.google/products/translate/one-billion-installs/

This is all a post about AI, hype, and skepticism. In my childhood sci-fi, the idea of people working multiple jobs to still not be able to afford rent was written as shocking or seen as dystopian. All this incredible technology is a double edges sword, but doesn't solve the problems of the day, only the problems of business efficiency, which exacerbates the problems of the day.

replies(2): >>jamesh+R9 >>n8cpdx+Qh
2. jamesh+R9[view] [source] 2025-06-02 23:53:40
>>taurat+(OP)
The part of that google translate announcement that covered translating handwritten Chinese must have gone missing
3. n8cpdx+Qh[view] [source] 2025-06-03 01:05:03
>>taurat+(OP)
It was available as early as 2012, probably earlier as IIRC Microsoft was copying:

https://www.pcworld.com/article/470008/bing_translator_app_g...

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