Timekettle renews translation engine for earbuds and handhelds

Timekettle will release a new firmware version for a number of its translation devices, which is intended to significantly improve real-time translation – which is why the company speaks of an upgrade rather than an update. The new firmware is expected to be released in January, the manufacturer announced at CES.

At the core of Timekettle's translation engine, called "SOTA" (State of the Art), is a background function that dynamically identifies the optimal translation model for each language pair and each conversation scenario in real time. Timekettle explains that different language pairs behave like completely different systems. For example, the translation between English and Korean follows a different logic than between German and English. The Spanish-Chinese pair, in turn, requires different segmentation, prediction, and context inference than, for example, Japanese-French.

According to the manufacturer, SOTA solves this problem in practice by recognizing the language combination and context in real time and then selecting the most suitable specialized AI engine from various options. This is made possible by Timekettle's Large Language Model (LLM) and its further developed "Babel OS" platform, which has been updated with new machine learning layers based on millions of language examples. The result is that translations should sound less like a machine's attempt to interpret something, and more like a language system that truly understands the intent, tone, and structure of what is being said.

Improved Voice Isolation

Since the quality of AI translation is only as good as the audio quality of the input, Timekettle has also improved this in the upcoming upgrade, according to its own statements. The Timekettle earbuds use bone conduction sensors that pick up voice vibrations directly through the bones. The upcoming revised algorithm is said to be able to extract clearer voice vibrations to improve signal purity, more effectively isolate noise in chaotic environments, and more accurately identify speakers in multi-person conversations.

Timekettle promises that the W4 interpreter earbuds (RRP 349 Euros) will become the most accurate translators in the company's history with the upgrade. The W4 Pro (449 Euros) and M3 (149.99 Euros) earbuds, the T1 (299.99 Euros) and T1 Mini (149.99 Euros) handhelds, and the X1 Interpreter Hub (699.99 Euros) will also receive the new firmware. All devices support instant translation in 43 languages and 96 accents, covering more than 95% of regions worldwide.

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