MeGlobe does in-browser IM with real-time translation
If you've been on the hunt for a tool that lets you chat with friends or clients that speak a different language, MeGlobe is a really simple solution that does all the work for you. Like Meebo, it will turn a single open browser window in a Webtop where you can manage your buddy list and chat windows. There's no software to install, and it handles 15 languages with relative ease.
I gave it a spin using French to English, and as advertised it translates in real time. You see what the person wrote in small letters, with the translation showing up right above. It doesn't matter what language the other user is typing in--everything gets converted to your default language. Changing it with a quick drop down will go back and reverse-translate previous chat items--it's very cool.
Other solutions for real-time chat translation have come from many places including Google. However, Google's system required using chat bots that act as a middle-man. MeGlobe's solution is far simpler, putting the entire process behind what the user sees.
In the future, I'd like to see MeGlobe tap into existing IM networks instead of requiring you to plug into its own, something I'm expecting based on a rather cryptic blog entry from earlier this week.
Embedded below is a video of the tool in action.
Related:
How to translate RSS feeds
I can has lolcat translator?
Josh Lowensohn is an associate editor for Webware.com, CNET's blog about cool and otherwise useful Web applications and services. If you've found a site you'd like profiled, shoot him an e-mail. E-mail Josh.
