This is just like any disposable phone that you can pick up at any electronics store with prepaid minutes on it. Except the provider specializes in translating conference calls, for whatever language you purchase the phone for, i.e. English-German, English-Russian etc. Just call the number of the disposable babblephone from your phone and a translator is waiting to help you out. Then hand the babblephone to the person you want to communicate with and presto! you are having a conversation. It would be great to have a babblephone for going abroad or communicating with your immigrant subcontractors.
Babelphone was taken by a translating company but they don't have this product (link).-- leinypoo13, Dec 22 2008 Similar http://www.babelphone.com/Translating Company [leinypoo13, Dec 22 2008] Why not just have a single button to call the service?
How did you arrange subcontract work if you don't speak the language to begin with?-- phoenix, Dec 22 2008 For example, I am at a small art gallery in Italy, where for some reason the curator does not speak English and I want to ask where the artist is from, how much is the art or just a have a general conversation. I call my own disposable phone and hand it to them and then interact through the translator.
//Why not just have a single button to call the service?
Because they may not have phone on them and this way you do not have to ask them for their phone number in a language you don't understand, or have them pay. Rather, you hand the disposable phone to them when you realize that you cannot communicate and call that number.
//How did you arrange subcontract work if you don't speak the language to begin with?
In the past when dealing with foreign subs, it was a painful and long process, especially when something goes wrong. In this scenario you could just hand them the disposable phone and there could be less miscommunication.-- leinypoo13, Dec 22 2008 Be interesting to have an Internet site where you put your speech patterns online for easier translation... more than a bit of a privacy concern though.-- FlyingToaster, Dec 22 2008 ?disposable?-- wjt, Dec 22 2008 random, halfbakery