You're supposed to give one earbud to your conversation partner.
Google’s Pixel Buds may have grabbed headlines for their ability to do language translations in real-time, but they had to be paired with Google’s Pixel 2 phone and the onboard Google Assistant to work properly.
However, the Mars earbuds try to be more flexible by being compatible with any Android or iOS phone. In addition, both parties will be able to hear each other in real-time, because one pair of buds is meant to be used by two people.
You simply hand one earbud to the person you want to talk to, and then use a smartphone app to work the translation magic. A microphone inside the earphone supposedly helps reduce ambient noise, and it picks up your voice as it travels up the Eustachian tube and down your ear canal.
Naver, a Korean search engine and research company which created the buds with messaging giant Line, calls this approach ear-to-ear translation, and says it’s the first of its kind to allow this.
Naver is claiming up to 3 hours of playtime on a single charge. Here's a look at the charging cradle.
The translation technology is powered by the Clova AI assistant, an Alexa-style digital assistant developed by Naver and Line last year, and Naver Papago. Only a few languages are supported for now, including English, Mandarin, Korean, and Spanish.
However, Mars says it will eventually expand support to up to 40 languages by incorporating Google Translate as well. On top of that, it will add compatibility with Siri, Google Assistant, and other smart assistants.
You can also use the earbuds to stream music from various sources, control IoT devices, and check the weather forecast, all by issuing voice commands to Clova.
The company is looking at a release sometime in the third quarter of the year.
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